‘The People Under the Bridge’ shines light on Lethbridge’s vulnerable population

A new documentary shot and edited by a team of Indigenous filmmakers over five days puts focus on homelessness and addictions in Lethbridge.

A new documentary is shining a light on homelessness and addictions in Lethbridge.

The People Under the Bridge is helping to amplify the voices of those living on the streets in Lethbridge.

“It’s just a story that’s been ignored for a while, and I think if I had to choose one story, I feel like I’d have to choose something that’s never been done before for a good cause,” said Jory Charlebois, project lead for The People Under the Bridge.

Over the course of five days, Charlebois, along with June Many Grey Horses and Aaron Devine, planned, developed, shot and edited the 10-minute documentary.

The story focuses on Indigenous people and the challenges they face with homelessness and addictions.

“I’m proud of myself and my group members for sharing the story about Indigenous people,” said Charlebois.

According to the City of Lethbridge’s 2024 Point-in-Time Count, 522 people were experiencing homelessness.

The report says Indigenous individuals accounted for 68 per cent of those who disclosed their racial identity.

The short film is one of 36 Indigenous-led projects produced during the Telus Storyhive Empowered Filmmaker program.

“People sign up for the program with the intent of making a film that will hopefully do something positive in the community,” said Farhan Umedaly, lead instructor with the program.

The intensive five-day program took place over the summer, with filmmakers having access to training, equipment and mentorship.

“You’ll have all the skills necessary to be a self-sufficient filmmaker, all the way from managing data to storyboarding to shooting, editing, post-production and delivery, and maybe even launching your career as a filmmaker,” said Umedaly.

Each workshop wrapped up with a community film festival, where the films premiered.

Charlebois hopes his film will give people a new perspective on the vulnerable population.

“A lot of the reason they get into addiction isn’t because it is necessarily a choice,” he said.

“I think at the end, we need to be able to put our feet in their shoes a lot more when thinking of how we can help them and things like that.”

The People Under the Bridge can be watched on Telus Optik TV channel 9 or on Storyhive’s YouTube channel.