The Line

The Line
The "line" that the film's title refers to is the poverty line, or the line between "the haves and have-nots," as one person in the film put it. The documentary highlights the stories of four people who have found themselves on both sides of the line: a former bank vice president who lost his job, a Louisiana fisherman whose livelihood is threatened by environmental degradation and hurricanes, a former homeless man, and a woman that grew up in a high crime neighborhood, lifted herself out of poverty, and found herself back in poverty after a horrible accident disrupted her life. The film puts poverty into perspective showing that it can strike anyone and that it is more prevalent in this day and age.
I felt very moved by the father that lost his job and soon after began using food banks to feed himself and his children. The fact that the movie showed someone that once held such a reputable position forced into poverty allows you to realize that this is something that can happen to anyone. I have been in a similar scenario and have faced the “degraded” feeling that encompasses you as you collect your food. Knowing that you can not supply what your family needs to survive can make you feel not only defeated, but you also have a sense of being a failure for taking these handouts. Because of the social stigmas that once existed towards those that accept either government help or in this example of the food banks, you fear the labels that may be placed on you. However, with the recent Recession and trying times with the job market, it has forced more people into the poverty level lifting some aspects of the shame. At this point it may be more standard for your community depending on where you live. What is most problematic for my family is that we are just barely over what the government considers the poverty level. Even though we struggle frequently to make ends meet, this disqualifies us from gaining assistance.
It is hard to see so many people struggle in a society that has the perception of being so powerful and strong. How can so many people fall through the cracks and be left to struggle and fend for themselves? As a country the United States is so willing to offer assistance to third world countries, but it seems we ignore those that are directly in front of us and in our country. This film invokes you to not only feel something, but also compels you to do something. It seems that there are more and more stories being told of families or persons that are struggling to survive; this to me means that something needs to change. First, we need to release the preconceived notions and stigmas placed on those that require need and help. It is easy to generalize those that are poverty stricken, but everyone has a different story. I feel this was a film that should be required for everyone to watch. It creates a more open-minded viewpoint to those that may be stuck in a dire situation. Secondly, poverty cannot possibly be eliminated unless the people of poverty find their voice and insist on justice, not charity: transforming their weakness to strength, drawing on the courage and determination people in poverty show every day in striving to survive and build a brighter future. The more complex reality is that a large swath of the population is barely getting by, making too much to qualify for public assistance but not enough to cover all their expenses. They may have not crossed the threshold into poverty but they live on its doorstep.