Eviction is the most draconian weapon in the landlord’s arsenal. The withdrawal of shelter, one of the most basic human rights, has catastrophic consequences for those cast out of their dwellings. The emotional and psychological impact of eviction — the physical strain and stress of being removed from one’s residence — often proves debilitating.

In Spain, the implosion of a bloated construction industry, massive unemployment, and a sharp decline in property values has left countless people facing eviction. As the members of the Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH, or the Platform for those Affected by Mortgages) emphasize in the recently released documentary Sí Se Puede!, eviction and foreclosure not only throw one out of housing, but society itself.

The film opens with a harrowing scene: three children sit on the stairs outside of their home, the youngest one quietly crying next to the suitcases that hold their belongings. The authorities begin to seal the door, rendering the family homeless. (Eviction is such a coercive act that even those tasked with executing it, such as locksmiths and police, have in some Spanish cities refused to do so.)