Food & Housing Insecurity

Don't Panic: How to End Poverty in 15 Years (59:47) Statistician Hans Rosling was one of the world’s most sought-after public speakers. In this film, timed to coincide with the launch of new development goals at the 2015 United Nations Summit, he offers real hope for an end to global poverty. Rosling explains how there are still one billion people around the world living in extreme poverty—but that number has halved since the UN last set development goals 15 years ago. Brought to life by the revolutionary holographic projection system Musion, this is a fascinating as-live studio show that charts where we’ve come from, where we are now, and where we’re heading when it comes to eradicating extreme poverty.

HBO Homeless: The Motel Kids of Orange County (01:00:05) Journalist/producer/filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi – who has built an award-winning reputation with her playful, politically charged HBO documentaries about George Bush, Ted Haggard and conservative America – shifts her focus to a serious social issue that has been exacerbated by the recent economic downturn: homelessness among children of the working poor. Shot over the course of the summer of 2009, Homeless: The Motel Kids of Orange County follows several Southern California children who have taken up residence at discounted motels within walking distance of Disneyland, spending their childhoods in limbo as their families struggle to survive in one of the wealthiest regions of America. As we see, though the community is trying to provide the children with adequate education and food, the day-to-day lives of motel kids are more often than not a numbing exercise in boredom, frustration, and ever-diminishing expectations. An HBO Production.

HBO Redemption (35:36) Redemption follows a cast of characters from the five boroughs of NYC as they scrape together a living – five cents at a time. Emmy®-winning filmmakers Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill followed several men and women over the course of a year, providing a poignant glimpse into the daily lives and struggles of those who scavenge the city’s garbage cans and recycling bins. The subjects’ previous occupations – short-order cooks, computer-sales executives, factory workers – all fell victim to an evaporation of jobs, as businesses and restaurants closed in the rocky years since the economic downturn. This 36-minute documentary short highlights the sense of community among the canners, many of whom have spent a decade working beside each other on the sidewalks, shunned by most New Yorkers and underserved by social services. But as more people turn to canning, the search to collect enough bottles and cans to survive grows more difficult. Despite the numbing work and long hours, they maintain their pride, insisting “It’s honorable work, no matter what people say.” As for the nontraditional livelihoods of their subjects, Alpert and O’Neill prove in this series of intimate portraits that one man’s trash is truly another’s treasure. An HBO Production.

Hollywood Homeless: Inside Secret America (48:02) In this program, investigative journalists Mariana van Zeller and Darren Foster explore firsthand the little-seen world of America's homeless youth. A National Geographic Production. A National Geographic Production.

Hunger in America (49:45) A powerful documentary tackling the hunger epidemic in America. 50 million Americans go to bed hungry every night. Hunger in America breaks down the clichéd ideas of who the hungry are today.

Poverty: The Fourth World (54:30) In an endless landscape of garbage, hundreds of people fight with crows over the edible contents of the trash. Hungry children stare from the door of a shack. A man labors under the weight of a bucket of water on a muddy street lined by low, crowded dwellings. What are the human stories behind these images of the Fourth World? Traveling to Nairobi, Guatemala City, and Manila, this documentary brings viewers inside the world’s shantytowns, exploring the reasons for their rapid expansion and revealing the personal struggles of those who live there. Original title: The Fourth World. (Portions with English subtitles, 54 minutes)

Poverty in America (6 Parts) Series Combining scholarly analysis with a human-centered approach, this six-part series looks at the causes and effects of economic hardship in the United States while suggesting ways for society to combat the cycle of poverty. Situational, multigenerational, elder, and child poverty are all addressed through conversations with those who know economic hardship firsthand, while immigration issues and homelessness are also examined in depth. Expert commentary comes from respected writers, socioeconomic scholars, and frontline activists, including Washington Post columnist David Broder, Alan Berube of the Brookings Institute, and Jessica Bartholow, a community food bank administrator. Original series title: The 51st State. 6-part series, 32–86 minutes each.

Still Human (1:59:23) DESCRIPTION This documentary opens the viewer's eyes to one of the world's most substantial and devastating social issues: poverty and homelessness. Through a socio-economic comparison of Mumbai and Los Angeles, we learn how these complex environments affect their homeless populations.

Why Poverty? (8 Parts) Series Despite advanced technology and better access to education, a billion people worldwide still live in poverty. This Peabody Award-winning eight-part series aims to raise awareness of this critical problem while exploring its causes and offering some possible solutions. Each program presents thought-provoking, often moving stories, but also raises difficult questions. Why is there still such a sharp divide between rich and poor? Can the less-well-off in America really claim to be in need? Will more education improve outlooks for people in the developing world? Supplemented by short bonus films, Why Poverty also includes an instructor’s guide designed to help deepen understanding of core issues and to spark classroom discussion. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. Portions with English subtitles, 8 part series, 58–65 minutes each.