Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

I recently had a chance to interview local filmmaker Andrew Lee via email. Lee’s latest film Easy Street is an indie documentary about the homeless in St. Pete.

TFF: What is your background? How did you get into filmmaking?

Lee: I went to USF St. Pete and received a bachelors in Graphic Design. While going to school I worked at Multimedia Productions with Steve Ashton. Steve and I were hired to produce a series of short documentaries profiling artists for the Gulf Coast Museum of Art. This was my intro to documentary filmmaking and it really got Steve and I excited about making a feature length documentary in the future.

What led you to make a film on the topic of homelessness?

One day Steve and I started tossing around ideas for the topic of our next film. This was nearly three years ago. I lived downtown and would take jogs along the waterfront after work. Before they started the additions to the Mahaffy Theatre, the waterfront was about the only place the homeless were allowed to sleep without harassment from police. I was fascinated by the contrast of how people could live with such hardships in such a paradise. I suggested we start investigating the homeless issue in St. Pete.

Did you do any research before beginning filming? Did you have specific ideas you wanted to convey beforehand or did the storyline develop as you filmed?

We spent countless hours talking with homeless people and homeless experts, and we eventually met some really dynamic and diverse people with who became the focus of the film. The film is a very balanced portrayal of how chronically homeless people live in St. Pete. We don’t claim to be experts, we don’t propose any solutions. The story is told entirely in the words of the people we interviewed and followed. What happens to our five main characters over the course of one year is truly amazing!

What is the most surprising or unexpected thing you learned while filming?

In the beginning, I was very surprised to learn of the abundance of organizations in St. Pete that feed the homeless. Several homeless people we talked to said they have actually gained weight since they’ve been on the street.

How has the local community responded to your film?

We had our first public showing of the film at The Studio at 620 about three weeks ago. It couldn’t have gone any better. People stood along the back wall for the entire length of the film and we had to turn away about 50+ people at the door do to over capacity. Since then, the local community has showed a strong interest in purchasing copies. USF has purchased a copy to have in the campus library, Eckerd College has done the same, as well as several homeless orgainizations and dozens of individuals.

The description of your film says that St. Petersburg was known as a good place to be if you were homeless. Why is that? What’s the current opinion now, given recent events in St. Pete? To what would you attribute this change of attitude (assuming there is one)?

St. Pete is a great place to be if you’re homeless due to the abundance of services offered to them. That’s not our opinion, but the actual feeling of many people we talked to on the street.

Was your opinion of the Tampa Bay area affected by filming your documentary? How so? What do you think of recent events in St. Pete (police destroying homeless people’s tents, etc.)?

I don’t think my opinion of this area was affected in any way. The recent events at tent city are more complex than what most people see on the news. I would urge people to see our film to learn more about the homeless situation as a whole. Most people who have seen it feel like they can now put together more informed opinions.

Have you entered your film into any film festivals? What are your distribution/screening plans for the film?

We have recently signed with a distribution company in L.A. They’re working right now marketing our film in several areas, and we should be on Netflix within the next few weeks.

Do you have any ideas or plans for your next project?

We have a few really good ideas for our next documentary. Check our website for updates on our next project or to order a copy of Easy Street.

Lee’s website is www.wideyedfilms.com.

(cross-posted at www.tampafilmfan.com)