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Go to the People
August 22 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
This event is SOLD OUT.
For the past 32 years, Dr. Jim Withers has walked the streets and crawled under the bridges of Pittsburgh by night to provide medical care to the city’s homeless people.
His remarkable story is told in producer-writer-director Jeff Sewald’s documentary, Go to the People, which will be screened for free on Thursday, Aug. 22, at 7:30 p.m., as part of The Lindsay’s Emerging Filmmakers Showcase. The 60-minute film will be followed by a Q&A with Sewald and Dr. Withers.
Named one of CNN’s Top 10 Heroes in 2015, Withers, an internist, was inspired by childhood memories of accompanying his father, a family physician, on house calls, and his mother, a nurse, on home-care visits.
“It was normal in my family to care. And my parents didn’t just talk about it; they put caring into action,” he told Pittsburgh Quarterly. “Seeing that gave me a sense of purpose, and it was during those years that I decided to become a doctor.”
When he first began his nighttime rounds, with a formerly homeless man as his guide, “Dr. Jim,” dressed like a homeless person and gained acceptance on the streets, under the bridges, and in homeless encampments. Before long, his dedication and compassion inspired others to join him in his mission. The program, called Operation Safety Net, is now recognized as one of the nation’s first full-time “street medicine” concerns, and it continues to set the standard for this unique form of health care.
“When I decided to make this film, Jim told me that I would be forever changed by it, and he was right,” said Jeff Sewald, an award-winning filmmaker and writer. “I learned from him that every interaction with homeless people must begin by listening to their concerns and, sometimes, just hearing their stories.”
“My work with people living on the streets came not so much from my sense that they needed me, but that I needed them,” said Dr. Withers. “I see pieces of myself in every homeless person that I meet, and consider it a privilege to be welcomed into their camps to connect with them as human beings.”
Showcase events, a staple at The Lindsay, present different artistic voices and encourage exchanges between local filmmakers and the public.
While admission is free to all Emerging Filmmakers Showcase events, those attending are asked to RSVP at The Lindsay’s ticketing page to ensure seating for all.
