The current project of ChatTown Chatta is finding people who were once living unsheltered to tell the story of their homeless life and especially how they recovered to gain housing. We want to know what the important steps were, how you connected to resources, advice to others. We want to hear your story in your words. These stories will be recorded interviews transcribed for a book and edited into a documentary film. Please use the contact form on this website or email chattownpress at gmail
Saturday April 5, 2 to 4 PM at the Chattanooga Public Library, downtown branch
Sunday April 6, 3 to 5 PM at Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Avenue,
(Sunday only, suggested donation $10-)
Film is 58 minutes long. Panel discussions moderated by Mark J Anderson
FILM SYNOPSIS
In this film you will view interviews with homeless people selected randomly from the streets of Chattanooga. This project is dedicated to providing a space for the unsheltered to tell their own stories in their own words, so that the housed may hear, understand, and grow in compassion for the people we view daily on our streets from a distance. Their stories may in some cases confirm our preconceptions, but more often, these stories will disturb our presumptions.
Panelists will include representatives from the office of the Mayor of Chattanooga, The Chatt Foundation, Metro Ministries, and Doing What We Can Homeless Outreach. Discussion moderator Mark Anderson.
Chattown Chatta: Our Homeless, is a collection of interviews with unsheltered people taken on the streets of Chattanooga Tennessee. The book contains twenty one interviews transcribed from about 3.5 hours of video. The documentary film is condensed to 58 minutes. It is intended to be used as the basis for panel discussions which are being scheduled, so watch here for announcements. It is our desire that this project will contribute to collective social change and government policy improvements.
10% of book sales are donated to The Chatt Foundation
“Inside of this book you will find interviews with homeless people selected randomly from the streets of Chattanooga, Tennessee. This project is dedicated to providing a space for the unsheltered to tell their own stories in their own words, so that the housed may hear, understand, and grow in compassion for the people we view daily on our streets from a distance. Their stories may in some cases confirm our preconceptions, but more often, these stories will disturb our presumptions.”
Rear cover text: “Inside of this book you will find interviews with homeless people selected randomly from the streets of Chattanooga Tennessee. This project is dedicated to providing a space for the unsheltered to tell their own stories in their own words, so that the housed may hear, understand, and grow in compassion for the people we view daily on our streets from a distance. Their stories may in some cases confirm our preconceptions, but more often, these stories will disturb our presumptions.”