West 47th Street offers an unprecedented window on the lives of people who are often feared and ignored,seldom understood.This warm and intimate cinema verite feature film follows four people with mental illness, off the streets and out of homeless shelters,in and out of the hospital,at home and at work,over three years.With a luminous simplicity that belies this film’s epic scope,the filmmakers present a story about people who approach tremendous obstacles with humour,optimism and grace.This film represents a radical return to cinema verite style,without interviews or narration.Set at Fountain House, a rehabilitaion program for people with serious mental illness located in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen.

USA,2001
110mins