‘Evicting the American Dream’ now available to stream on Amazon Prime
The documentary is expected to be available on additional streaming platforms by the end of the year
“Evicting the American Dream” is now available to stream on Amazon Prime. The documentary, produced by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Counter Stories Productions, presents the stories of children and families confronting eviction and homelessness, exploring the root causes and systemic issues that perpetuate this epidemic.
“Amazon Prime has the potential to reach over 200 million worldwide, and this is just an incredible platform and opportunity to amplify these voices and Counter Stories to a wider audience of millions,” said David Barnhart, director of the documentary and Associate for Story Ministry for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
Dr. Katherine Rowell, co-producer of the film and a retired sociology professor at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio, addressed some of the current challenges around housing in the United States. “We continue to see racial disparity in housing affordability and eviction rates,” Rowell said. “The issue of housing affordability remains at the heart of the American Dream, and increasingly that dream is becoming a nightmare for many families.”
Rowell developed a documentary resource guide to the film available to download with additional resources about eviction and homelessness as a way to raise awareness and encourage education and dialogue around this topic. “It is hoped that communities will add their own resources and questions to guide these conversations and call for action in their communities,” Rowell said.
Listen to staff from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) talk about “Evicting the American Dream” here.
“Evicting the American Dream” joins other Counter Stories Productions documentaries available for streaming, including “Trigger: The Ripple Effect of Gun Violence” and “Flint: The Poisoning of an American City.” “Evicting the American Dream” is expected to be released on additional streaming platforms by the end of the year.
Barnhart also highlighted the importance of generating national conversations and engagement around root causes, noting that “Flint: The Poisoning of an American City” recently reached the “15 million Streaming Milestone” across all streaming platforms worldwide. “This level of outreach is incredibly important as we all work together in these movements for justice,” Barnhart said.
Conversations across the country
Since its March premiere, “Evicting the American Dream” has been screened in places across the United States, including Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia, Washington, D.C., North Carolina, Illinois, and California. Screenings are accompanied by panel discussions and brainstorming sessions with local leaders, organizations and faith groups addressing eviction and homelessness.
Additional screenings are being coordinated in Wood River, Illinois; Augusta, Georgia; Stony Point, New York; Seattle; Fort Worth, Texas; Chicago; Louisville, Kentucky and other cities throughout the rest of the year and into 2026.
See some of the responses from partners and collaborators here.
Alongside the screening campaign for “Evicting the American Dream,” Counter Stories Productions is on the production phase for a documentary about gun violence prevention and another one focused on environmental racism. The team is also on the post-production phase editing the “Trouble the Water” video series into one feature film to also to be distributed on streaming platforms by 2026.
More information about Counter Stories Productions and its film resources can be found here or here.
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