You might see Lyzz browsing at the Ann Arbor public library, or spot Shiloh relaxing in the grass near the Diag. You might encounter Little Bear outside Ulrich's or Rich sitting outside at a restaurant on State Street. Willis and Maurice attend classes at Eastern Michigan University during the day and spend their nights on the street. All of these people are featured in a new documentary on homelessness in Ann Arbor.

Filmmakers and RC graduates Elisha Wolfe and John Mathias spent last year filming and editing the documentary for their senior project.

"I was really aware of the homelessness issue in Ann Arbor," Wolfe said. Students "don't really understand these people."

Wolfe and Mathias said at first they were unsure how to approach the project.

"We went to the shelter association. ... There we met a couple guys who took us around," Wolfe said. "The first day we were filming we went under a bridge ... and there was a little shack." Wolfe said the people they met that first day were receptive to the idea of creating the documentary.

The filmmakers say they made the documentary with specific goals.

"We want to make the voices of Ann Arbor's homeless population heard," the documentary's website states. "This documentary presents a diverse group of personal stories and comment from people who are or have recently been homeless in Ann Arbor. Our goal is to present these voices as our interviewees intend them to be heard."

Titled "Listen," the filmmakers attempted to present the stories of the people they met, not to view homelessness as a problem with clear solutions.

"We tried to make it something that would bring their voices out," Mathias said. "I don't have the answers. ... It's probably not going to be one solution."

The filmmakers held eight public screenings in August in venues ranging from Expresso Royale on Main Street to Pierpont Commons on North Campus. The filmmakers plan six additional showings in Sept., including a midnight showing at the State Theatre Sept. 26.

About 25 people attended a screening held on Aug. 13, including some who appeared in the film.

The documentary includes interviews with more than 20 people, who say they are homeless for a variety of reasons including family situations, mental and physical health problems, abuse and personal lifestyle choice. Some people in the video worked two jobs, while some bought alcohol with panhandled money. Some lived in shelters, some in friends' and families' homes, and others live in the woods or under bridges near Ann Arbor.

"I kind of like living the simple life anyways," said a man named David featured in the documentary. "Why do I need to spend $300 a month for hat storage?" he said, adding that two-thirds of the reason he is homeless is personal choice.

"A lot of people don't want to tell an employer they're homeless," Little Bear said. "I picked to be homeless because I like it."

Others have different experiences. "We'll stay in parking structures, sometimes with friends, sometimes with family, or sometimes on a porch huddled up under a couple of blankets," Rose said. "Sometimes we'll walk around all night long. And it's not fun. It's not fun not having a permanent place to sleep, to eat, to go and take a shower. ... I don't like this."

Rose said she lost custody of her children because she was homeless. "In this county, especially if you're homeless and female, your kids are gone," she said.

Some in the film expressed frustration toward the attitudes of students and Ann Arbor residents.

"You see all these kids going around where their mommies and daddies paid for them to go to college and you wish you had that," Lyzz said.

The Washtenaw County Shelter Organization houses 70 to 90 people every night and provided services to more than 1,000 people in 2001, according to its website.

"I think that Washtenaw county has lots of services to offer," said Henry Smith, a former social worker for Washtenaw County who heard about the Aug. 18 showing from his friend. "I visited the camps - this time of year it has a nice appeal."

Some attendees hoped the documentary would motivate students to change.

"There's too many people who aren't getting cared for," said Tony, who both appeared in the documentary and attended the screening. "There's a need - every person should supply that need, even if it means that they have to wake up and see a homeless person."

For one homeless man, economic difficulty forced him to adopt a homeless lifestyle.

"Not only had I been stereotyped, I stereotyped myself," Sande said, whose dream was to come to the United States.

The filmmakers' friends said the product was many months in the making.

"I first heard them talk about it last October," said alum Suhani Bora. "I was impressed by their motivation."

Bora added that she thought it would be good for freshman.