You won't see them on street corners, hand held out for change. At first glance you would not even realize that they are women without homes. They are clean, educated, well-groomed and articulate. They live invisibly throughout society - the hidden homeless.

It Was A Wonderful Life follows the stories of six different hidden homeless women as they struggle to survive, one day at a time, and find a place for themselves in a society ill-equipped to deal with the "used to haves."

Many of the women were left in financial straits following a divorce, loss of a job or a long illness, and were reduced to living out of their cars. Their clothes, dogs, and whatever remains of their former lives are packed in the back seat. Few receive welfare or any other form of assistance. They eke out an existence picking up bits of work here and there. The women avoid public shelters where they might be raped or robbed, preferring to sleep in their cars, or find temporary shelter with friends.

With strength, humor and pride, these women manage to survive. They challenge our notion of who can feel secure in our society.

"Ohayon's compassionate, intelli- gent film reminds us that homeless- ness among the formerly affluent is no more or less horrible than it is among the poor..." LA Weekly
"Compassionately insightful ... highlights the need to aid people before they are hopeless as well as homeless." Booklist

American Psychiatric Association, 1995
Association for Women in Psychology, 1995
Gold Award Winner, Houston Film Festival, 1993