"This feature documentary is considered to be the forerunner of the NFB's Challenge for Change Program. The film offers in inside look at 3 weeks in the life of the Bailey family. Trouble with the police, begging for stale bread, and the birth of another child are just some of the issues they face. Through it all, the father tries to explain his family's predicament. Although filmed in Montreal, the film offers an anatomy of poverty as it occurs throughout North America." - NFB
Direction
Ballantyne Tree's invasive intimacy sparked program reform.
Editing
Three weeks compressed into raw, unvarnished narrative.
Director
Tanya Ballantyne Tree
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Direct Cinema's 'no intervention' rule meant crews watched children go hungry rather than break the fourth wall.
The Baileys later criticized the film; their 'consent' was complicated by power dynamics and desperation.
US
CA
