Emilio Estevez is back on the big screen for the first time since his 2010 film “The Way” hit theaters. This time, however, he’s back in the library (but it’s not for Saturday detention) in “The Public.” Shot at Cincinnati’s main library branch, “The Public” follows a group of homeless patrons during a wicked cold front who decide to stay at the library for shelter. What starts as a non-violent act quickly turns into a police standoff with crisis negotiator.
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Libraries are an obvious choice for those without a permanent home. There is no cost to enter, they are warm and safe, they offer internet, electrical sockets, and materials that provide a mental escape from everyday life. And if you live in those bitterly cold regions, you know that homeless folks struggle to find warmth when the temperatures get low.
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Since the late 2000’s there has been an increase in the number of libraries offering homelessness programs, according to an article by the Guardian. We can’t help but wonder if this increase is what sparked Estevez’s interest in the subject.
Here is the official synopsis:
In “The Public” an unusually bitter Arctic blast has made its way to downtown Cincinnati and the front doors of the public library where the action of the film takes place. At odds with library officials over how to handle the extreme weather event, some homeless patrons turn the building into a shelter for the night by staging an “Occupy” sit in. What begins as an act of civil disobedience becomes a stand-off with police and a rush-to-judgment media constantly speculating about what’s really happening. This David versus Goliath story tackles some of our nation’s most challenging issues, homelessness, and mental illness and sets the drama inside one of the last bastions of democracy-in-action: your public library.
The film is written and directed by Estevez, who also stars in the film in the leading role.
Starring alongside Estevez is a huge cast, presumably a lot of acting friends, like Alec Baldwin, Jena Malone, Taylor Schilling, Christian Slater, Gabrielle Union, Jacob Vargas, Michael K. Williams, Jeffrey Wright, and Che “Rhymefest” Smith
“The Public” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and hits theaters on April 5.
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