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Through a Blue Lens (1999) VHS>DVD>Xvid Rip
Veronica Alice Mannix
International Documentary Association
2000 Nominated IDA Award for Feature Documentaries
runtime: 00:52:21
Vancouver, Canada
English : Color : No subtitles
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

Cast
 (Credited cast)
	Al Arsenault		... 	Himself, police officer
	Toby Hinton		... 	Himself, police officer
	Dave Kolb		... 	Himself, police officer
	Walt McKay		... 	Himself, police officer
	Mark Steinkampf		... 	Himself, police officer
	Dale Weidman		... 	Himself, police officer
	Alfred Hollingsworth	... 	Himself, police officer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Carlee			... 	Herself, drug addict
	Darlene			... 	Herself, drug addict
	Randy Miller		... 	Himself, drug addict
	Nicola			... 	Herself, drug addict

IMDB http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0226525/

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Video Information:
dimension: 480x360 29fps
codec: iso mpeg-4 ffmpeg
lavc  1704
Audio:
32kbps mp3lame
Mpeg layer 2/3
48kHz
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reviews:
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Through the Blue Lens is the story of a working relationship between two unlikely groups of people; police officers and drug users. While the Mannix team was filming their prior documentary, Down Here, they met two officers who had something to say about the gentrification of the Downtown Eastside. At the time, the officers had been using still cameras to document many of the circumstances people suffered. They took these images to local schools in an attempt to educate youth. Seeing the potential the video camera could offer, the officers asked the Mannix team to help them create an educational video. The Mannix team started by teaching camera handling and talked about camera ethics and power relationships. Following videotaping the officers would leave the video tapes with Veronica Mannix for screening and comments. It was during this time that Veronica saw her story - the relationship of two unlikely groups of people coming together to try and make a difference. She pitched the story and the National Film Board supported her vision. Veronica used 20 minutes of the officers 100 hours of videotape, the remainder of the footage was shot by Daniel Mannix. Through a Blue Lens started out with seven police officers and nineteen drug users, the final participants in the film included four officers and six drug users. Though a Blue Lens is 52 minutes. Following the completion of this project Veronica moved on to complete The Whistleblowers - the story of speaking out about wrong doing in the work place.

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This documentary, set in the Lower East End of Vancouver's downtown core, is a pretty honest account of life on the streets in urban Canada. It is aimed at educating high school kids on the dangers of addiction to hard drugs and is the brainchild of a group of city police officers who videotape their interactions with local homeless personalities. It started as a tape to keep kids safe, and ended as a compassionate look at lives and faces that belong to families all too similar to your own. Through a Blue Lens is graphic and open, as well as deeply affecting for a lot of viewers. This excellent film was just meant to teach students about what awaits them if they don't seek help and make good choices now; when all is said and done it should be seen by a most adults, too. Definitely more than intelligent, honest, brutal, and involving enough for any discriminating audience.

Obviously biased to some extent, but a stunning example of truths of life. Pretty touching stuff, well-documented and explored. Definitely worth the watch.

As an aside, the subjects of the film Nicola and Randy have since cleaned up; Randy has a wife and is now a bodybuilder with a successful speaking career. The other two main concerns, Carlee and April, were not so lucky. Carlee overdosed six months after shooting wrapped up, and April was found strangled in an alley in an example of the dangers of addiction and prostitution. Both will be missed by those who knew them.

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PNC release #5
our city is addicted to cars
kill the habit before it kills you
share and share alike!