VIVID IMAGES are still on the retinas even today, of completely down-and-out homeless Canadians slumped down in front of the glass frontages of boutique fashion retailers. Window cleaners would side-step them as they squeegeed while overly-botoxed mummies exited their white Range Rovers to examine the newest trends in-store. They completely ignored the ones cross-legged on the cold, concrete ground of course. It was unjust and unbelievable to witness.
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HOMELESS (2018) is the result of a little script Allan wrote when squatting in Montreal, Quebec during the summer of 2014. It was originally titled 'Less Homeless' and was based on day-to-day observations walking along Bloor Street in Toronto.
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The script came together very quickly and the first draft was written over a couple of weekend morning coffees in a little cafe called Melbourne on St Laurent. However, there were a few redrafts.
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Versions of the script placed well in script competitions in Canada and the UK but it was propelled into development after connecting with the director and producer during a networking event in Liverpool, England. Development meetings were extremely positive and subtle changes improved the flow of the narrative and it was adapted to a British rather than a Canadian context.
It was shot on just a couple of hundred quid during the summer of 2016 in the Liverpool city centre.
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'Homeless' is a silent drama about the daily life of rough sleepers, not only how they are perceived by the public but also how they perceive themselves.
