Documentary backdrop image for A Starting Point (2021)

Documentary backdrop image for A Starting Point (2021)

202148 minGdocumentary

Homelessness Housing

A Starting Point

202148 minGdocumentary

Three colleagues undertake a 65 km non-stop winter trek to raise awareness about homelessness in Waterloo Region.

Homelessness Housing

Genres

Director

Synopsis

Three colleagues undertake a 65 km non-stop winter trek to raise awareness about homelessness in Waterloo Region.

People

Tessa Jennisondirector

Ashley DeMartecast

Tessa Jennisoncast

Synopsis

Three colleagues trek 65 km through winter conditions in Waterloo Region to raise awareness about homelessness. As they walk, discussions unfold about rapid development and the affordable housing crisis. The documentary presents the community's potential to lead in social compassion. Directed by Tessa Jennison, A Starting Point runs for 48 minutes and aims to inform viewers about the local challenges facing vulnerable populations.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

The River (2020)

The River

2020•1h31m•★6.0TMDB

A thousand miles of levees were built along the Mississippi River to control flooding and manage the river's flow to the Gulf of Mexico.

Our House: the homeless man, the hippy and the property developer (2018)

Our House: the homeless man, the hippy and the property developer

80 people find shelter in a Liverpool building as a property developer confronts the city's homelessness crisis amid a luxury property boom.

Our House: the homeless man, the hippy and the property developer

The Families Forced Into Homelessness: No Place To Call Home (Poverty Documentary) (2019)

The Families Forced Into Homelessness: No Place To Call Home (Poverty Documentary)

Over 80,000 children in the UK live in temporary housing, with many facing eviction and homelessness amid a severe housing crisis.

The Families Forced Into Homelessness: No Place To Call Home (Poverty Documentary)

No Place Called Home (2024)

No Place Called Home

In Canada, Kay Rice and her partner Karl navigate poverty and housing instability while raising six children and facing legal challenges with their landlord.

No Place Called Home

The New Homeless: Working 40 Hours and Living in a Forest (2026)

The New Homeless: Working 40 Hours and Living in a Forest

A man living in a tunnel in Las Vegas has been homeless for six years, relying on panhandling and odd jobs to survive.

The New Homeless: Working 40 Hours and Living in a Forest

My Mother Built This House - South Africa (2008)

My Mother Built This House - South Africa

Nearly one-third of Cape Town's 3 million residents live in slums or squatter settlements, facing daily challenges of safety and shelter.

My Mother Built This House - South Africa

31 Days in the Ghetto: Homeless Social Experiment (2018)

31 Days in the Ghetto: Homeless Social Experiment

One out of every three homeless people in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside has AIDS, revealing the stark realities of urban homelessness in Canada.

31 Days in the Ghetto: Homeless Social Experiment

I Lived Homeless for 30 Days in The World's 'Best' City (2026)

I Lived Homeless for 30 Days in The World's 'Best' City

Vancouver's Downtown Eastside reveals the harsh realities of homelessness, as one individual spends 31 days navigating its challenges, including addiction and illness.

I Lived Homeless for 30 Days in The World's 'Best' City

Vancouver's worst ghetto - Streets of Plenty - True Story Documentary Channel (2021)

Vancouver's worst ghetto - Streets of Plenty - True Story Documentary Channel

Vancouver's downtown east side, known for its high crime rate and severe homelessness, is explored through Misha Kleider's month-long undercover experience on the streets.

Vancouver's worst ghetto - Streets of Plenty - True Story Documentary Channel

Hope (2012) | Full Documentary | Hardship in Downtown Eastside (2025)

Hope (2012) | Full Documentary | Hardship in Downtown Eastside

In Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, Sergeant Steinkampf navigates a crisis involving a mother and son amid the challenges of poverty and addiction during the holiday season.

Hope (2012) | Full Documentary | Hardship in Downtown Eastside

Under The Bridge: The Criminalization of Homelessness (2017) (2022)

Under The Bridge: The Criminalization of Homelessness (2017)

More than 20 years of homeless encampments in Indianapolis face police intervention and city efforts to clear the area under a bridge.

Under The Bridge: The Criminalization of Homelessness (2017)

Chicago at the Crossroad (Poverty Documentary) (2021)

Chicago at the Crossroad (Poverty Documentary)

Over 3,000 people have been shot in Chicago in a single year, reflecting the city's deep issues with violence and poverty.

Chicago at the Crossroad (Poverty Documentary)

Explore A Starting Point

People Topics FAQ

Browse more like this

The Families Forced Into Homelessness: No Place To Call Home (Poverty Documentary) (2019)

The Families Forced Into Homelessness: No Place To Call Home (Poverty Documentary)

Over 80,000 children in the UK live in temporary housing, with many facing eviction and homelessness amid a severe housing crisis.

The Families Forced Into Homelessness: No Place To Call Home (Poverty Documentary)

No digital watch option in your country

I Lived Homeless for 30 Days in The World's 'Best' City (2026)

I Lived Homeless for 30 Days in The World's 'Best' City

Vancouver's Downtown Eastside reveals the harsh realities of homelessness, as one individual spends 31 days navigating its challenges, including addiction and illness.

I Lived Homeless for 30 Days in The World's 'Best' City

No digital watch option in your country

Someone Lives Here (2023)

Someone Lives Here

2023•1h15m•★7.7TMDB

Khaleel Seivwright, a carpenter in Toronto, constructs small shelters for homeless individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic while facing opposition from city officials.

Someone Lives Here

Winter Buoy (2015)

Winter Buoy

2015•1h26m•★7.4TMDB

A group of nurses in Toronto assists pregnant women facing homelessness, drug addiction, and violent relationships during the harsh winter months.

The Edge of the World (2014)

The Edge of the World

2014•1h37m•★6.2TMDB

Four individuals share their experiences of living on the streets, bridges, and metro corridors of Paris, confronting the realities of homelessness.

The Edge of the World

Winter Nomads (2012)

Winter Nomads

2012•1h30m•★7.2TMDB

Eight hundred sheep travel 600 kilometers across the Swiss-French region over four months as shepherds Pascal and Carole face harsh winter conditions.

The Long Ride Home: Part 2 (2021)

The Long Ride Home: Part 2

2021•57m•★9.0TMDB

A group of Indigenous Canadians continues a four-year horse ride, started in 2020, to raise awareness about Indigenous children in care.

The Long Ride Home: Part 2

Streets of Plenty (2010)

Streets of Plenty

2010•1h5m•★3.5TMDB

A man attempts to survive for 31 days in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside with only a pair of underwear during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Streets of Plenty

Paddle for the North (2015)

Paddle for the North

2015•55m•★9.0TMDB

A 1,500-kilometer expedition through six remote rivers in North America includes a challenging 130-kilometer upriver portage against strong currents.

Paddle for the North

Kicking It (2008)

Kicking It

2008•1h38m•★7.7TMDB

500 homeless individuals from 48 teams compete in the 2006 Homeless World Cup held in Cape Town, South Africa.

Lead Me Home (2021)

Lead Me Home

2021•40m•★6.3TMDB

Powerful stories reveal the harsh realities of West Coast homelessness.

60 Days on the Streets (2019)

60 Days on the Streets

2019•47m•★8.0TMDB

Sixty winter days and nights are spent on the streets of Britain by former soldier Ed Stafford, who documents the realities of homelessness.

60 Days on the Streets

Lost in the Crowd (2010)

Lost in the Crowd

2010•1h15m•★1.0TMDB

40% of the 20,000 to 32,000 homeless youth in New York City identify as LGBTQ, facing significant challenges on the streets.

Lost in the Crowd

In the Hearts of the Living (2022)

In the Hearts of the Living

Each year, about twenty ceremonies are held in the cemetery of Cornebarrieu near Toulouse to honor the deceased who lived on the street.

In the Hearts of the Living

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →