"God I hate Surrey, it's like the entire city is stuck in a time warp, " complains Amy (Jennifer Copping) the rookie caseworker assigned to the area. Lines like this and scenes which depict the municipality as the West Coast Canadian equivalent of South Central L.A. won't endear writer/director Bruce Spangler to the local Chamber of Commerce. Call "Protection" the anti-tourism movie. There is a documentary like realism to scenes where a stressed out social worker (Nancy Sivak) struggles to make a decision after talking with a drug addicted welfare mom (Jillian Fargey) and her ex-con boyfriend (William McDonald) about the possibility of child abuse. Spangler drew on his own experiences as a caseworker with the B.C. Ministry of Children and Families for this gritty yet absorbing look at the brutal realities of the job.
Review of Protection
Protection
(2000)
Canadian Film-Maker Turns Real Life Experience Into Reel Life Film
3 November 2009