Gimme Shelter

Homelessness probably isn’t the most common thing many people associate with the idyllic and affluent town of S.B., but documentary filmmaker Brandon Birtell wants you to know otherwise. His new documentary, Shelter, chronicles the lives of four homeless Santa Barbarans and their day-to-day struggles with addiction, abuse, and hunger on the streets. While these plights are difficult enough on their own, the film vividly depicts how the subjects’ efforts to battle their demons are deterred substantially by a lack of access to stable, permanent housing. The film will screen as a fundraiser for Casa Esperanza, one of S.B.’s most widely utilized homeless shelters that offers temporary housing and social services to hundreds of S.B.’s homeless every year. Shelter screens at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 24, at the Veterans Memorial Building (112 Cabrillo Blvd.). Admission is free, but all donations will be given to Casa Esperanza. Call 884-0123 for more info.