VANCOUVER: NO FIXED ADDRESS (Charles Wilkinson, Canada). 75 minutes. Rating: NNNN
Housing prices soar as average wages stay still. Lifelong citizens are forced to think of their homes as “investments.” Young people move away, unsure of their future in the city they grew up in. Some get creative, forming co-housing agreements or building suites in laneways. Everyone’s sick of talking about it, sick of thinking about it, wondering why the government isn’t doing anything about it.
Sound familiar?
There are some key differences here in Toronto, but this exploration of Vancouver’s housing crisis serves as a cautionary tale. In interviews with everyone from David Suzuki to a one-time homeowner who now lives in his van, the film pokes the bubble from every angle but never seems to break it.
Towers rising over beautiful mountain landscapes sit next to homeless tent cities. Many blame foreign investors (especially from China) for driving up prices, bringing up uncomfortable racial overtones.
Anyone looking for a solution will likely leave unsatisfied, which is actually the documentary’s strength. Covering a ton of ground in just 75 minutes, the film suggests this problem is way bigger than Vancouver.
May 2, 6 pm, Scotiabank 4 May 4, 8:45 pm, TIFF 2 May 5, 12:45 pm, TIFF 2
