Pastles Productions is undertaking a massive project this year, collecting interviews from rough sleepers, council members and charity workers from around the UK to create a short film raising awareness of homelessness. Homelessness is a massive problem in the UK currently, with the number of people sleeping rough having increased by over 100% in just the last 5 years. Read on for more info.
Earlier this year, I ventured out onto the streets of Bristol to make a short documentary about rough sleepers in the UK. In doing so I got stared at, heckled and abused by bystanders however I met some of the most humble, gracious and pleasant people I’ve met in my life. It was a shocking and enjoyable experience at the same time, and I was astonished by the positive response the video got.
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- Rasha
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- Ewa
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- Alan
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- Rasha
As a result of the response I got from the video, in particular people asking to see a longer version, we are now working on a longer film with the intention of further raising awareness of homelessness, the causes of it, what rough sleepers go through on a day-to-day basis, and what we can do to help. The film will centre around three characters, looking at the different ways each of them ended up on the streets, and will be a dramatisation of interviews held with homeless people, talking about their lives on the street.
We’re working with a number of charities and groups, including St Petrock’s, Cardboard Citizens and Spring of Hope, in order to raise awareness of the issues there are, and what’s being done to change them. Check out our News page for some of the interviews we’ve held with organisations such as Crisis and The Big Issue. We ran a Kickstarter campaign just before Christmas, successfully raising over £6,000 for the film.
A few photos from behind the scenes of the shoot, and in rehearsal:
Below are a few videos and photos taken from interviews we’ve carried out so far:
We’re also calling out for creative submissions; we’ve had some great responses so far, including music, art and poetry. You can find out more here, and take a look below at some of the amazing pieces we’ve received…
A collaboration between Dan Baboulene, Paul John Bailey and ex-rough sleeper, Miguel Dean, we released an exclusive single entitled ‘See Me’. You can download/stream the full song here, and watch the teaser video below:
You can stay up to date with the progress of the film right here, on Facebook and Twitter.