HBO's "American Winter" producers Joe Gantz and Harry Gantz document the struggles of families in Portland post-recession

Judging from the rally on Wall Street, it would appear that the American economy is recovering. But there are several families who have yet to feel that sense of recovery. A moving new documentary on HBO takes us into some of the living rooms and dining rooms of families struggling to survive since the recession. It explores the recent downturn of the American economy by focusing on a handful of families, once comfortably middle-class, who are now under pressure to make ends meet. “American Winter” debuts Monday on Hbo at 9 p-m, Eastern Time.

Joe Gantz and Harry Gantz are the producers of the heartbreaking and revealing documentary about the reality of many American households today. They share some of the stories in the film and the message they hope to send.

“The takeaway is that the hope is in the love they have for each other, and hopefully, that the government will come around and fund the social safety net in a way that can help them get back on their feet," Harry Gantz says, "because it's a lot cheaper to fund them before they fall into abject poverty than to try to get them out of it.”