SueBy Sue Foley
SONDER premiered Thursday morning as part of the Santa Barbara Doc Shorts series. The film opened with a definition of its fitting title: Sonder – noun. The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.
The short documentary examines experiences of homelessness in Santa Barbara County and highlights the huge effort required to curtail the epidemic of the un-housed. But rather than saying that the effort is futile, it presents instances in which intervention and resources do make a monumental difference in individual lives. The filmmakers must certainly have realized that one step toward public engagement is the reminder that we are all humans in need, and deserving of, compassion and basic necessities.
Directed by Joey Szalkiewicz 24 min – United States – World Premiere
