iN VIDEO: Kelowna documentary deals with grief in homeless community

The homeless community in Kelowna is familiar with death, but often move on without time or supports to mourn.

That’s according to a new documentary scheduled for a showing in Kelowna next week.

“People who are unhoused are often not recognized as grievers and are not adequately supported in their grief. This makes it difficult for them to explore and express their grief, which affects how they cope, co-producer and co-director Stephanie Laing said in an UBC Okanagan news release.

Laing is a doctoral student and operations director of UBCO’s Kelowna Homelessness Research Centre.

The documentary, No Fixed Address: The White Cart Memorial, focuses on a tribute to those who have died in the community, and explores death and grief in the homeless community.

“Through the voices and stories of people living with unstable housing in Kelowna, the film shows what it means to grieve without a home, and how loss echoes through a community already struggling to survive,” Dr. Joshua Black said in the release. Black shared producing and directing duties with Laing.

Through personal stories and research, the film dives into the challenges of grieving in public spaces, while also explores plans for the future in Kelowna.

“The film urges us to rethink how we hold space for public mourning, and how we can build more compassionate, inclusive systems of care. Because only through community can we create safer places to grieve, heal and remember,” BC Centre of Palliative Care executive director Dr. Eman Hassan said in the release.

The film is scheduled for two free screenings in Kelowna, both at the Mary Irwin Theatre in the Rotary Centre for the Arts.

The first showing is Oct. 15 at 1:30 p.m. and the second is Nov. 7 at 6 p.m.

More information can be found online here.