In December, local filmmaker Gabriella Parsons introduced Nebraskans to several of the faces of the state’s eviction crisis. Now, her work is gaining nationwide notice.
Parsons’ short film, Behind On Rent, has been officially selected for a number of film festivals this fall – including the Oregon Documentary Film Festival in Portland in August and the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival in Atlanta in September.
The 27-minute film (below) follows the stories of four Nebraskans who face eviction amid the surging pandemic in 2020.
Commissioned by History Nebraska, the South of Downtown Community Development Organization, and the Nebraska Housing Developers Association, the film brought the Speak Up For Housing Rights coalition’s mission into public view, garnering nearly 140,000 views on YouTube.
“I am just overwhelmed with gratitude for the receptivity to these stories and the opportunity to be a witness,” Parsons said.
Behind on Rent will be shown along with other official Oregon Documentary Film Festival selections on Aug. 15 at the Clinton Street Theater in Portland. It then will join the other official selections from the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival at Atlanta’s historic Plaza Theater. If you’re near either of those cities during those dates, we invite you to join in and cheer Behind On Rent on!Â
In the meantime, visit SpeakUpLNK.org and join the movement for housing affordability. Eviction is not just a condition of poverty – it’s a cause, and that affects everyone in our community. We all must tackle this urgent and growing crisis together.
