This morning, before King County Councilmembers get briefed on budgetary matters related to housing, they’ll watch that trailer for West Seattleite Tomasz Biernacki‘s new documentary “Trickle Down Town.“ The film premiered to a full house Sunday night at West Seattle’s historic Admiral Theater; your editor was among those there to see it. For most of the film, you meet people with different relationships to the homelessness crisis, telling their stories in their own words. Among the people in “Trickle Down Town,” which runs about two hours:

-A mail carrier living in an RV on Harbor Avenue
-A retired machinist living at city-sanctioned Myers Way encampment Camp Second Chance
-A recovering addict who hits the streets to deliver sandwiches, water bottles, and to listen
-An architect who found himself launching a nonprofit
-A couple whose backyard houses a formerly homeless person’s tiny home
-An artist living in a tiny house with his expectant partner

Others seen and heard from include a historian and local politicians. Much, but not all, of the film was shot in West Seattle. Its next scheduled public screening is Saturday, November 3rd, at West Seattle Meaningful Movies (6:30 pm doors, admission free, no RSVP required, Neighborhood House High Point). What else? The filmmaker tells us a few more screenings are planned – no confirmed dates yet nearby (though his website mentions one November 15th on Bainbridge Island). Eventually it likely will be available online. Making the film already has changed Biernacki’s life in one way: “Since making this film, I have joined the volunteers at Camp Second Chance and we are building tiny homes. I feel that is a viable and safe alternative to what is happening now around us. If we cant afford to provide affordable housing to people, then a place like Camp Second Chance is a safe alternative. Its not the prefect or permanent solution, but much better then people dying in our streets.”