03.21.04
Bum’s Paradise documentary comes to Portland, Dignity Village
Filmmakers capture the halcyon days of the homeless at Albany Landfill
By Joanne Zuhl

It was intended to be a few weeks commitment, documenting the eviction of a
homeless population living in the Albany Landfill near Berkeley, Calif.
It turned into something so much more: A study of human ingenuity and
creativity in the face of relentless poverty and loss. “Bum’s Paradise,” as
it turns out, is less about homelessness than the ability of the human
spirit to make a home where none existed. The 53-minute documentary embarks
on its Northwest tour, including Portland this month, featuring a special
free screening of the film at Dignity Village.
“I think probably the most important thing the film does is give a face to
these people that you normally ignore or try to ignore when you bump into
them on the streets,” said Tomas McCabe, writer, director and producer of
“Bum’s Paradise.” “That, and I think one of the most important things I’ve
noticed is … because these folks basically had for 10 years a camp they
could stay in, they had homes. At the end of the day, they knew they still
had a home to go to. Even if it was a tent, just to know the cops weren’t
going to tear it up at the end of the day, not having to look for a
different doorway every night. And that led to a lot of creative expression.
And I think it was kind of therapeutic to these people, to be able to have
that creative outlet. Just a place to think and create.”
The eviction at the landfill dragged on for months, during which McCabe and
fellow director Andrei Rozen chronicled the civilization among the rubble.
The crew hooked up with Robert “Rabbit” Barringer,” one of the homeless
residents at the landfill who become the film’s narrator, writer and
occasional camera operator. Barringer, like many of the residents of the
Albany Landfill, is an artist, with a degree in painting from University of
California Berkeley.
Art plays a prominent role in the life of landfill residents, McCabe
discovered—art, along with critical dialogue and creative expression thrived
when the residents were left alone, unhassled by police and far from the
condescending eyes of the world. In the words of Rabbit, “This landfill
stands as a brooding monument to obsolescence. What could be a more
appropriate refuge for America's unused people? Here, they can be hidden
away from a society which regards them as a nuisance and an eyesore.”
Composer Marc Black created the soundtrack for the film and kept true to the
message using primarily found objects as instruments.
The story is told from the perspective of those living in the landfill and
those outside, both coming to an emotional face-off in the Albany Council
Chambers and ultimate eviction.
McCabe believes at least part of the failure of the landfill community,
ironically, is based in jealousy from those on the outside looking in.
“I think actually there are quite a few people that are jaded,” McCabe said.
“Everybody works hard. I think there’s a bit of animosity rooted in
jealously. People see them loafing and having a good time. They should get a
job. But a lot of them just can’t work. A lot of them just don’t have the
capacity to work. I think there’s a bit of jealousy there.”
McCabe and the crew for Bum’s Paradise plan to do 10 screenings of the film
in six days, between Eugene, Portland and Seattle, and McCabe said the
highlights would include his first visit to Portland’s Dignity Village. The
ultimate goal is to get the film in front of as many audiences as possible,
ideally at a major film festival.
While the overreaching goal is to raise awareness, the more pressing need is
more elemental. “We need press. We need people to see it. We need money!”
McCabe says, who spent $32,000 on the project. Not that the film is
languishing in anonymity. It has garnered several awards and a measure of
critical praise and media attention.
Donations for the film can be made through their Web site, www.
bumsparadise.com, which has become the main marketing tool for the film.
Support has also come from Rabbit’s own entrepreneurial endeavor called
Rabbit’s Realty Tours. For a donation, Rabbit will take any adventurous soul
on a 24-hour urban camping experience, including tours of the Albany
Landfill, to learn the “ins and outs of surviving on the streets.”

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