“I think any time you make a documentary about contentious political issues, you’re not going to please everybody,” said Gunn, who splits his time between Victoria and Vancouver. Gunn’s hour-long documentary “Vancouver is Dying” is part of a series called Politics Explained. The film explores issues such as crime, homelessness and the overdose crisis. “It seems like we keep doubling down on exact policies, so we wanted to pull back the curtain,” Gunn said. In the film, Gunn’s interview subjects include former and current members of law enforcement, victims of violent crime, and recovering drug addicts. The film is highly critical of government policies regarding the justice system and the overdose crisis, particularly BC’s safe drug supply program. On several occasions, Gunn’s film compares drug addicts who use safe supply to that of an alcoholic who is encouraged to drink and drive. Gunn also links Vancouver’s crime rate to the city’s addiction and homelessness issues. “There are a lot of issues that I think could be brought up and people would have a lot of compassion for, but this one didn’t at all,” said Sarah Blyth, executive director of the Overdose Prevention Society. “It just created a firestorm of hate towards people who need help.” Global and Mail reporter Andrea Woo tweeted: “Not a single mention of what happened to the North American drug supply in ‘Vancouver is Dying’. Safe supply intervention is not a response to addiction, but to a drug supply that has changed radically, killing 10 times as many people.’ Gunn’s film also took aim at the country’s decriminalization of many hard drugs, which he believes further fuels the drug crisis. “When it comes to things like heroin, fentanyl and crystal meth, I think there should be a social stigma around people who use substances,” Gunn said. “Now we need to remove the stigma around seeking treatment, recovery and seeking help with an addiction, because I agree with that 100 percent.” Since it was posted on YouTube in early October, Gunn’s film has surpassed two million views and received several positive feedback messages. “I think it kind of reinforces the fact that it resonates with people,” Gunn said. “Obviously people care about crime — I think the most important thing is that there are a lot of people, especially here in B.C., looking at the situation they feel like what we’ve been doing hasn’t worked and they’re open to other suggestions on how to deal with it this problem”. Gunn’s film also took aim at politicians such as former Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart, Justin Trudeau and Adrian Dix. Vancouver Mayor-elect Ken Sim scored a landslide victory last month with major campaign promises including an increased police presence and improved public safety.
