The Public

With record-setting lows in the forecast, Cincinnati is bracing for a severe cold spell. The city’s homeless population regularly seeks refuge from the elements at the downtown public library, patiently awaiting the doors to open each morning after spending long nights in a shelter or risking their lives out on the street. Stuart Goodson (Emilio Estevez) and his fellow librarians empathize with their patrons, but they walk a fine line to honor the rights of the homeless individuals while respecting other patrons’ rights to a safe, comfortable library visit. With overflow shelters at capacity on the coldest night of the year, nearly 100 homeless men, several of whom experience mental illness, hold a peaceful protest in the library, insisting on staying the night to keep warm. The police threaten the use of force to evacuate the patrons, while the media has its own intentions of reporting a version of the story for the sake of ratings instead of the truth. Caught on the frontlines, Stuart, who must choose to succumb to pressures to stand down or immerse himself in the movement. Timely, socially relevant, and altogether captivating, THE PUBLIC offers brutally honest portrayals of homelessness, addiction, and mental illness along with our willingness – or the resistance – to help our neighbors in need. – A.B.