Forgive, Not Forget

Anita, Matthew, Ali, Hannah, Mollie, Elspeth, Hank

Theme:
Perhaps the hardest thing that members of the homeless community face is the
preconceived notions of society and the inability to forgive. Fear cuts these people off from
society, making their attempts to transition back into the community more difficult; this is a
serious systemic flaw in the community. Yet here in Denver there are people who are willing to
overcome their fears, to forgive these people in order to find them a place to live and a way to
improve their lives. When you forgive someone, you recognize the humanity that is within them
and you are more willing to embrace them as a full member of the community. One way to
spread this idea of forgiveness is through the collaborative process of storytelling; such forms of
expression, when done well, make it possible to share the idea of forgiveness and instill it within
individuals in the remaining community. Forgiveness from only a few members, while it helps
slightly, does not cover the wide range of things that the homeless need to get off the streets. It is
up to each individual to develop the idea of forgiveness fully/in his own way and use this in his
daily life.

Dramatic Tension:
Our documentary is set up in a problem-solution format; we present the preconceived
views of society (a problem for those trying to find housing) and then present Devin’s work and
how art, especially writing, can help to change these notions (solution). This helps to build
dramatic tension because it makes the audience yearn for a way for these societal notions to
change. Also, much of the dramatic tension stems from the story of Loco. By spreading out the
story throughout the documentary, it leaves the audience wondering how the story ends.

Plotting:
Introduction: Pictures

Phase 1: Lack of Forgiveness in Society

Our documentary starts by introducing the character of Loco and his troubled past, a
murder conviction, which continues to haunt him on a daily basis. From this introduction, we
move into the segments of Devin’s interview which discuss the average citizen’s approach to the
homeless; many people recognize that the need for adequate housing for the homeless, but few
want these members of society in their neighborhoods. It is these preconceived societal notions
about the homeless that are causing Denver’s current system of dealing with the homeless
population to falter.

Phase 2: Devin’s Experience

After defining how society in general views the plight of the homeless, we will move into
Devin’s experience. Being a member of the St. Francis Center outreach team, his work gives him
a unique perspective; he is able to view life through the eyes of the homeless as well as other
members of society. After a description of his job, we allow the audience to see this special
insight for themselves, moving through Devin’s motivations for being in this line of work as well
as the ultimate goals for the outreach team as well as Denver’s plan for ending homelessness.
This brings this section into a discussion about the need for housing, concluding with the
continuation of Loco’s story, as Devin searches to find him a place to live.

Phase 3: Using Writing to Share Forgiveness

 One main focus of this project is to highlight how effective the arts can be in spreading
awareness about social issues as well as bringing about social reform. Through Devin’s
explanation of the purpose of his writing, as well as excerpts from his essay, we are illustrating
how influential writing can be; it can point out flaws in society that are normally hidden from
view or put out of sight and out of mind. This section begins with Devin describing how his
writing gives a voice to a population that is often looked over; he hopes that his work makes it
easier for others to see the humanity of the homeless. Often, he feels that the homeless
population are just a statistic and are not considered as human beings. This section ends with
the happy ending of Loco’s story, as Devin is able to find him a place to live.

Phase 4: Devin’s Challenge

At the conclusion of Devin’s essay, he provides a challenge to society, asking members of
the Denver community to think about the way that ex-cons as well as the homeless are treated.
Through Devin’s discussion of crime rates as well as Loco, he is able to challenge society to think
about how well we forgive others. Devin wants to illustrate how common Loco’s plight is and
how there is a real need among this community for help, but much of this help means nothing
without forgiveness.

Transitions:
Along with using Loco’s story as a type of transition tool, we are also using poems,
outside footage, and music in Denver in order to transition from one phase to another. During
the reading of Loco’s story, we are using some outside footage in order to accent the story. As a
means of introducing each new section, we are having the text of poems written by homeless
people in the Denver community, as well as a reading of the poems, before the introduction of
the title of the next phase. This accents our theme of the use of art to vocalize the problems
within a community and the need to help others. The music also follows the general mood
established by the documentary footage. We start with a song entitled “Train of Thought,”
moving after the first section to a song called “Homeless.” As the documentary takes a more
hopeful tone, the songs reflect that. The next two songs are “Pursuit of Happiness,” and,
concluding the documentary, the song “Going Home.”
pictures at the beginning before title + song → “The Sale Is Over”
music for the credits → “Going Home”