Last Chance: Great Speeches From A Dying World

Local filmaker Linas Phillips got close to the homeless people he portrayed in this documentary of life on and off the streets of Seattle. His film, Great Speeches From a Dying World, ending its run tonight at the Northwest Film Forum on Capitol Hill, is intimate but never feels invasive. It's also 90 minutes of pure heartbreak, so if you're feeling vulnerable, be warned. The story of a kind-hearted homeless man named Tomy stands out among vignettes from a dozen local homeless people. You keep waiting for Tomy to come back on screen. Phillips has his subjects recite famous speeches from history, a curious device that is never explained. Sometimes, like when when a wheelchair-bound, crack-addicted homeless woman delivers Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I A Woman?" no explanation is needed.