MIDDLETOWN — A new, locally produced documentary explores the poignant stories of soup kitchen patrons in an effort to give voice to those living among marginalized populations, as well as share their experiences and successes overcoming addiction, homelessness, domestic violence, mental health and other issues.
“Meet the Streets” is a collaboration between acting teacher and stage director Diana Moller-Marino, videographer and Central Connecticut State University graduate Marx Chiriboga and Anne-Marie Cannata, executive director of The Buttonwood Tree in Middletown.
Those interviewed are frank and honest about their situations.
“Our hope is to dispel stigmas around mental health and/or addiction, and to celebrate those who have helped people who overcame that,” according to Cannata.
Moller-Marino teaches privately at her home in Middletown. It is her first time working with a video documentary format.
St. Vincent de Paul Middletown, at 617 Main St., was chosen because its mission centers on helping those in need, Moller-Marino said, “whether from poverty, housing insecurity, addiction, disability and/or mental illness.”
The facility is where social workers meet with clients, “since many of them may be unhoused or otherwise hard to reach,” she added. “Some need that case worker to connect them to addiction services; to help them with housing vouchers and job assistance; and help others needing financial support for a disability.”
Seven individuals are profiled in the project.
Meet the interviewees
They include Haddam Neck native Dawn, a reformed alcoholic who came to the city at 17 when she became pregnant. Dawn, who lived in a tent for seven years with her cat, was aided by the owner and wife of Pandolfe’s Marine Sales. She had no running water, and the couple allowed her to fill up gallon jugs as needed and take hot showers.
They since have become good friends, said Dawn, who has taken on a maternal role among the group of people who gather at the corner of Liberty and Main streets.
“Folks congregate here because it gives them a sense of family,” she says in the film. “It’s a social life. St Vincent de Paul’s is a lifesaver for so many. Without them, a lot of people wouldn’t survive. It’s also a place to vent, and it gives them a sense of belonging.”
Dawn said she feels “very lucky, but a lot of these people aren’t. God definitely wants me to help these people.”
Rose and Jay are a couple. Rose, who had a very difficult family upbringing, was placed into state care when her mother attempted to end her life, she said. Later, Rose said, she was raped. When she and Jay began dating, Rose, who had her first child at about 15, said she had never experienced love.
All she knew was domestic violence, she told Moller-Marino.
When they met, Jay said, Rose was using drugs, but eventually got clean. Later, her 12-year-old son, who had health problems due to domestic violence, died, Rose said.
The stress caused Rose to return to her addiction, she told Moller-Marino. “I jumped into drugs so fast. One minute. I was the joker, [because] I’m always giggling, and then I shut down completely. I didn’t want to talk to no one,” Rose said.
“We lost everything,” Jay added.
The two have been clean for 15 years.
James, who was born in New Haven, came to Middletown for recovery. James, who hasn’t used cocaine for 13 years and has been sober for four months, recently transitioned to a man.
His mother gave him up for adoption at three months, because she was incarcerated, James said. They were reunited when James was 20.
Since his transition, James says in the film, “I’ve never been happier. I feel freer and much less self-conscious. I feel like I can smile again! I have a large family and they are really happy for me and support me 100 percent.”
Fostering respect, compassion
“It is our hope that allowing these individuals the opportunity to share their stories — their struggles and triumphs — will help passersby to better understand that we are all human beings seeking healthy and fulfilling lives,” Moller-Marino said. “We hope that a better understanding of our commonality as people will foster greater compassion and respect.”
“We also seek to celebrate the resources Middletown provides individuals who live with housing/food insecurity, mental health issues and/or addiction,” she added.
Cannata, who runs the performing arts center next door, came up with the idea of getting to know those who frequent the area in summer 2021. She believes those listening to these stories would be “more likely to send them positive energy, rather than negative energy.”
Moller-Marino had been working with Wesleyan University students on creating 10-minute autobiographical monologues centered on identity, when she was approached by Cannata to see whether The Buttonwood could host a similar class with those from different backgrounds.
Cannata thought providing a glimpse into the lives of these individuals would generate empathy, she said. Her mission was also for the public to see how social services work in a city with an array of agencies and groups.
“It opened my eyes to the difficulties people have in going through the steps of getting services,” Cannata said.
“The fear of the unknown is what I was trying to break apart,” she added. “I want to bring to light the people who seem to be in the dark. It’s good people stuck in a broken system.”
Moller-Marino found the project a positive one, despite dealing with difficult issues. She donated her time, and a grant from the state Department of Economic and Community Development was used to pay Chiriboga, who helped document the project.
Chiriboga, who has a degree in media studies, is a multi-platform creator and promoter with a background in video production, editing and copyrighting. He joined Moller-Marino in approaching soup kitchen patrons outside the facility to ask whether they’d be interested in participating.
They were pleasantly surprised to find that many were. “They could see I was interested and not afraid,” Moller-Marino said. “I came to them with an openness that they responded to with openness.”
Moller-Marino grew up in New York City, and recognized universal themes in what people said. “It was incredibly inspiring. The grit of some of the lives of folks in a big city was part of my upbringing. It’s not that it was a shock, but a beautiful reminder,” she noted.
The impact of St. Vincent de Paul is very evident in the movie, Cannata said.
“Those we serve have deep roots in our community, and their stories are a testament for their desire to stay alive, and St. Vincent’s can be the safe place to come to seek assistance to begin to overcome the harsh reality of homelessness, addiction mental illness and profound loss of family jobs, housing, trauma and housing,” Executive Director Mary-Ellen Shuckerow said.
The agency’s mission is to provide a safety net of services that brings “comfort, dignity and hope that with support they can overcome their life situation and believe in themselves and the resilience to strive and thrive,” she added.
The documentary will premiere from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at The Buttonwood, 605 Main St. The event is free and tickets are limited. To attend the screening, visit buttonwood.org. The documentary can also be viewed at Youtube.com.
