No Place Called Home (2003)

• 72%
• 2003
• Documentary
• Craig Chivers

With a photojournalist's eye, director Craig Chivers focuses his lens on the day-to-day struggles encountered by Kay Rice, her partner Karl and six children, whose goal is to break the generational cycle of poverty. Shot in an intimate, cinéma vérité style, No Place Called Home follows the family as they move from town to town in search of affordable housing. "I know we're poor, but it's what we are, not who we are," says Kay, as she tries to make a fresh start by fixing up a rundown rental home. Unable to find steady work, the Rices rely on food banks and help from a local charity to make ends meet. When things turn sour with the landlord, Kay fears his veiled threats may mean losing her children and decides to take him to court. In capturing the stark realism of a life with few options, No Place Called Home puts a modern face on what it means to be poor in Canada.