Documentary backdrop image for Slippery Slope (2025)

202522 minPG-13documentary

mental-health addiction homelessness social-justice civil-liberties

Slippery Slope

202522 minPG-13documentary

In Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, rising suicide rates and anti-police protests highlight the community's struggle with addiction and mental health crises.

mental-health addiction homelessness social-justice civil-liberties

Genres

Channel: Grapevine Documentaries

Slippery Slope

2025• 22 minPG-13

Synopsis

In Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, rising suicide rates and anti-police protests highlight the community's struggle with addiction and mental health crises.

Synopsis

In Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, a surge in suicides and suicide attempts highlights a community in crisis. Tensions escalate as anti-police activists organize public protests, confronting law enforcement amid the turmoil. The documentary features insights from Steve Addison, Marie Brown, and Kal Dosanjh, alongside a visit from a recovered addict who emphasizes themes of resilience and redemption. Directed by Matthew Shewchuk and Tara Shortt, "Slippery Slope" examines the intersection of mental health, social unrest, and the urgent need for change in urban environments.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Through a Blue Lens (2010)

Through a Blue Lens

2010•52m•★7.1TMDB

Six months after a candid interview, a young woman named Shannon becomes a drug addict, illustrating the rapid decline faced by many in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

Through a Blue Lens

Sylvie's Story (1986)

Sylvie's Story

1986•28m•★10.0TMDB

Sylvie seeks refuge in a Montréal transition house from domestic violence, facing financial instability while accessing vital legal and social resources.

Welcome to the Downtown Eastside (2025)

Welcome to the Downtown Eastside

In Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, Constable Steve Addison and the Beat Enforcement Team confront the realities of drug addiction and law enforcement challenges.

Welcome to the Downtown Eastside

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

Welfare Wednesday (2025)

Welfare Wednesday

In Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, the last Wednesday of the month triggers a chaotic scramble among drug addicts and dealers as welfare checks are distributed.

Welfare Wednesday

The Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998)

The Decline of Western Civilization Part III

1998•1h26m•★6.9TMDB

Four bands perform in a gritty portrayal of homeless teenagers in Los Angeles, who embrace a punk lifestyle marked by music, drugs, and rebellion.

The Decline of Western Civilization Part III

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

On the Overdose Frontline (2026)

On the Overdose Frontline

In Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, a community of misfits, artists, and drug users operates a safe injection site to combat the fentanyl overdose crisis.

On the Overdose Frontline

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.

Inside Airport Lost & Found (2022)

Inside Airport Lost & Found

2022•44m•★2.0TMDB

Millions of belongings are misplaced at airports each year, with lost items traveling from Seattle to auction houses in Pittsburgh and sales in Alabama.

Inside Airport Lost & Found

400 a Week for Rent & Nothing Left: Surviving in Mount Druitt (2026)

400 a Week for Rent & Nothing Left: Surviving in Mount Druitt

Average rent in Mount Druitt is about $400 a week, leaving many families struggling to afford basic necessities like food and clothing.

400 a Week for Rent & Nothing Left: Surviving in Mount Druitt

Tibetan Refugees: The Hardest Fight For Justice After 70 Years Of Exile (2026)

Tibetan Refugees: The Hardest Fight For Justice After 70 Years Of Exile

Tibetan refugees, after 70 years in exile, continue to seek justice, as illustrated by Sonam Choeden's return to India and insights from the 14th Dalai Lama.

Tibetan Refugees: The Hardest Fight For Justice After 70 Years Of Exile

Explore Slippery Slope

Where else to watch

Through a Blue Lens (2010)

Through a Blue Lens

2010•52m•★7.1TMDB

Six months after a candid interview, a young woman named Shannon becomes a drug addict, illustrating the rapid decline faced by many in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

Through a Blue Lens

No digital watch option in your country

The Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998)

The Decline of Western Civilization Part III

1998•1h26m•★6.9TMDB

Four bands perform in a gritty portrayal of homeless teenagers in Los Angeles, who embrace a punk lifestyle marked by music, drugs, and rebellion.

The Decline of Western Civilization Part III

No digital watch option in your country

Bowery (2022)

Bowery

2022•1h42m•★9.0TMDB

Evelyn Franks and Jacob Yoffee document the struggles of New York City's unhoused population in the Bowery amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Other Side (2015)

The Other Side

2015•1h32m•★6.4TMDB

In Louisiana, individuals like Mark Kelley and Chase Anderson navigate addiction and societal neglect amid the struggles of disarmed veterans and anti-government militias.

Sickfuckpeople (2013)

Sickfuckpeople

2013•1h15m•★7.6TMDB

A young boy searches for his estranged mother in a village plagued by drug addiction and violence, while a pregnant girl faces pressure to consider abortion.

Vancity Raps (2024)

Vancity Raps

2024•1h37m•★10.0TMDB

Ninety-seven minutes of footage captures the diverse hip-hop scene in Vancouver, featuring local artists and their contributions to the genre.

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

Maineland (2017)

Maineland

2017•1h30m•★4.6TMDB

Chinese teenagers from wealthy families arrive at a boarding school in Maine, seeking the American dream and facing cultural challenges.

Browse more like this

Inside Airport Lost & Found (2022)

Inside Airport Lost & Found

2022•44m•★2.0TMDB

Millions of belongings are misplaced at airports each year, with lost items traveling from Seattle to auction houses in Pittsburgh and sales in Alabama.

Inside Airport Lost & Found

No digital watch option in your country

400 a Week for Rent & Nothing Left: Surviving in Mount Druitt (2026)

400 a Week for Rent & Nothing Left: Surviving in Mount Druitt

Average rent in Mount Druitt is about $400 a week, leaving many families struggling to afford basic necessities like food and clothing.

400 a Week for Rent & Nothing Left: Surviving in Mount Druitt

No digital watch option in your country

Seattle is Dying (2019)

Seattle is Dying

2019•1h•★8.0TMDB

In March 2019, KOMO Anchor Eric Johnson reported on the rising drug and homelessness crisis that has significantly impacted Seattle's residents and infrastructure.

Seattle is Dying

Vancouver is Dying (2022)

Vancouver is Dying

A surge in violent crime, homelessness, and drug addiction affects one of Canada's wealthiest cities, as documented in a 55-minute film from 2022.

Vancouver is Dying

Skid Row: Los Scandalous (2014)

Skid Row: Los Scandalous

A 28-year-old filmmaker documents life on Skid Row, focusing on homelessness, addiction, and police corruption in Los Angeles.

Skid Row: Los Scandalous

The Fight for the Soul of Seattle (2020)

The Fight for the Soul of Seattle

2020•1h30m•★5.0TMDB

Epidemic levels of homelessness and addiction have surged in Seattle, driven by city council policies that some experts say have worsened the crisis.

The Fight for the Soul of Seattle

B/Side (1996)

B/Side

1996•37m•★9.0TMDB

The encampment known as Dinkinsville on New York's Lower East Side begins its first night after the June 1991 riots and faces destruction by fire in October.

The Girls of 1960 (2023)

The Girls of 1960

2023•1h11m•★8.0TMDB

Seventeen women gather for their annual reunion on March 21, reflecting on their lives as mothers and grandmothers compared to their youthful dreams.

The Girls of 1960

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 →