By Briana MacMillan

Driving through the streets of Amherst, Mass., you may be surprised at the numbers of homeless people panhandling or walking the streets. So many, in fact, that Sari Gannon and Matt Haron-Duranti, of Counterfeit Cow Productions in Amherst, were inspired to begin researching their recent documentary, Homeless in a College Town.Haron-Duranti explained that it was something Gannon originally brought to the table, wondering why there were so many panhandlers on the streets and why they seemed to be different all the time. Haron-Duranti himself is originally from the Amherst area, and he said he “became used to it and didn’t notice as much.”

Amherst is a small town with five colleges in the area and residents with a high level of education. This contrast of living styles led the two to try to discover what was driving such a large number of homeless to the area.

Gannon explained that the homeless people started to become a common sight in college towns because “resources are already in place for the students.” These resources include public bathrooms, buses and 24-hour stores and facilities. Also, “students are the No. 1 [source of] volunteers at soup kitchens and shelters,” Gannon said.

The same idea applies to cities such as Worcester and other college towns. However, Gannon explained, “people recognize those cities, like Worcester, have homelessness.” Amherst is not really a city, and, according to Gannon, its number of homeless nearly matches Worcester.

Homeless in a College Town follows a number of people throughout their journey with homelessness over the span of about a year. The documentary also tracked the shift in the lives of many of the homeless, as the production team helped them to find homes and furniture and move.

The team of Counterfeit Cow Productions also worked to raise awareness, petitioning the town for shelter expansion and working with student groups. The documentary followed the team through the multiple construction stages of a cow statue that doubled as a piggy bank for donations to benefit the homeless.

Involving college students and younger kids in the production of the statue was also an important aspect of the project. Haron-Duranti said he feels that it is vital to get younger generations involved in causes such as homelessness to “educate them on helping their fellow man and showing them the difference they can make.”

The documentary is meant to serve as an educational eye-opener for the public about what is happening around them, not just in college towns. Haron-Duranti said he hopes it will teach people to “take a second look at someone and not just judge them.”

Haron-Duranti said that while interviewing the homeless in North Hampton, one interviewee asked him if he would like to meet another homeless person in the area. Ready to do a final interview, Haron-Duranti came face-to-face with a childhood friend. “It could be someone you know, anyone you grew up with, a neighbor,” Haron-Duranti said.

Haron-Duranti said that although the documentary focuses on the Amherst area, it is “applicable in any community.” Trying to put his inspiration for the film into words, he fell back on his co-founder, Gannon. “She says, ‘If I was a seamstress I would make clothes; a cook, I would cook; but I’m a filmmaker, so I’m making a film.’”

The team is currently producing another documentary, Hope Fiends, which focuses on an alternate lifestyle for Amherst residents and an underground sober house that is being run by one resident.

Counterfeit Cow Productions plans to debut Homeless in a College Town at a film festival, with its public premier coming sometime in the fall of 2014. More information on Counterfeit Cow Productions and the documentary can be found at homelessinacollegetown.com.