Housing prices are skyrocketing in cities around the world. Incomes are not. The documentary Push sheds light on a new kind of faceless landlord, our increasingly unlivable cities, and an escalating crisis that has an effect on us all. This is not gentrification, it’s a different kind of monster.

The film follows Leilani Farha, the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, as she’s travelling the globe, trying to understand who’s being pushed out of the city and why. “I believe there’s a huge difference between housing as a commodity and gold as a commodity. Gold is not a human right, housing is,” says Leilani.

Push director Fredrik Gertten clearly sums the state of affairs, “the housing crisis is now affecting middle class families across the world. Without a doubt, it is going to be the biggest political challenge in the next coming years.”

I had the pleasure of speaking with both Leilani Farha and Fredrik Gertten after sold-out screenings at Hot Docs. They both reinforced the notion that it is time to recognise that housing is a human right, not a commodity.

I leave you with our chat. Hopefully, you’ll be inspired like I am to push back!