A Guided Tour of Chicago's Crumb Bums

'Poverty in Chicago' is a full-length documentary that takes a raw look at the conditions experienced by Chicago's estimated 110,000 homeless inhibitors. The film tracks the director Brian Schodorf's personal exploration of the overwhelming urban homeless problem Schodorf began to learn about upon moving to Chicago from his former home in Wichita, Kansas.

Schodorf takes the viewer into the lives of nearly 15 homeless men currently living on the streets, concentrating around Chicago's South Loop. This film is an exploration of how the drug afflicted homeless population affects society as a whole with exclusive interviews from many of Chicago`s most respected experts and lawmakers.

Those interviewed include Senator Jacqueline Collins, Alderman Toni Preckwinkle, Director of Chicago Recovery Alliance Dan Bigg, and well as professors from Columbia College, University of Chicago, and Chicago State to name a few. Schodorf's developed relationship with the men allows the viewer to get a true inside look at what life is like as a permanent resident of the streets.

I've told you, now I'm gonna show you,' says one homeless man who leads Schodorf and his crew through the most crime infested areas of Chicago's south and west inside the drug trade itself. Real and uncensored, the film addresses the problems most members of society ignore on a daily basis. It shows all aspects of the drug problem from 50-year-old panhandlers to suburban teens who stick themselves with the same needles. Poverty in Chicago shows how homelessness effects us all.

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