Homeless London: Their Story

Combining his creative mind and caring instincts with his natural ability to capture emotion and inspiration on film, British independent film maker David Sargant sets out to tell the stories of some of the most forgotten people in the UK.

The Aim of the Documentary

The problem for most homeless people is that they are put in to the same bracket and judged. The aim of this documentary is to remove those barriers in order to tell the real honest stories of everyone involved and reveal who they really are in an honest and impartial way.

What We Need

I can't stress enough how much I want to be hands on with everything in this project. I don't want to have to outsource anything. Your pledged funds are crucial to the success of this project. We need to get started and below you'll find a summary of our requirements.

• Equipment Hire - Including Cameras, Audio & Lighting etc.
• Crew Costs - Including Travel, Refreshments & Time
• Location Fees - Including Hostels, Shelters & Studios
• Post Production - Including Editing, Narration & Colour Correction
• DVD Production

The Guy Behind The Project... Me.

That's me on the right.

It's always good to know about the person/people behind a project. That's me on the right in the photo when I climbed Ben Nevis last year - I enjoy a challenge and trust me it was! 

I have lived, worked and socialised in London for many years now. I know my way around, where to look for the right contacts and how to find the best locations and resources available. My day job is to write, take photographs and be creative, so its not going to be a problem when it comes to making this documentary happen.

I have also worked in Local Government, Housing and with the Police Service to tackle Anti Social Behaviour, Crime and Homelessness - so I know how the system works and what challenges that the homeless face.

Feel free to connect with me on my profiles at LinkedIn, Twitter & Google+

How This Project Will Be Achieved

I will be filming right across central London, mainly in and around the City of London and in and out of homeless hostels and shelters. I will be capturing the environment on film as much as the people. This is an important aspect as I want the audience to be a part of the story as it's being told and to really feel like they are sharing the experience - in order for them to relate with each person involved as much as possible.

I will be operating a mobile makeshift studio which I will be able to use to capture public emotion and opinion.

I will also be shooting some scenes in a professional studio environment. These will be key elements such as narration, interviews with special guests and messages from the director and crew.

The Wider Filming Area in the City of London

How to Help:

Pre-order the DVD, or claim one of the excellent perk packages in the right column.

We have a wide variety of perks available, including the our London Street Sign Logo which will come just like a real London Street Sign!

Other Ways You Can Help

Some people just can’t contribute, but that doesn’t mean they can’t help:

• Ask folks to get the word out and make some noise about the Homeless London Documentary campaign.

Inspired by Michael - A True Story

London Liverpool Street Station

It was a freezing cold Decembers night in London. I was at London Liverpool Street train station and decided to go and grab some hot food while I waited for my train home.

While I was queuing at a well known fast food restaurant on the station's open plan floor, a homeless man asked the woman in front of me for some change to help him get in to a hostel as he was freezing cold and homeless.

After being completely ignored, and a little bit tipsy from the beer I had been drinking, I asked the guy one simple question; 

"So how did you end up here?"

"Well people don't know the real reason why I'm here asking for pocket change" he said while counting the coins in his right hand. 

He stopped and realised I was genuinely interested in what he was saying; "Well, my wife used to beat me up and hit me all the time but I couldn't stick up for myself. I didn't want to hurt her."

"You would think a bloke like me could stop a woman hitting me, right? Well, one day it all got too much and I shouted at her to stop hitting me." 

Michael spots a young man waiting at a burger bar; "Excuse me, Sir do you have any spare change at all so I can pay to get in a hostel tonight please, I'm homeless and it's freezing cold."

"F*** off you peice of s***", get a job!"  he replies, and gestures towards us with his middle finger. His friends laugh at him like he's a hero. - "Okay thanks for your time, Sir, have a nice evening." Michael replies.

Acting like nothing just happened, and with a look of embarrassment on his face, Michael went on; "You get used to it."

He pauses.

"She then threatened me with a knife in front of my son and told me to leave and not to come back or she'll stab me in the throat" He shrugs his shoulders; "that was three months ago and now I'm here begging for money."

Being used to interviewing people to get answers for my articles, I asked Michael what support he was currently getting; 

"I've been to see the homeless people" he said. "They told me that because I left the house voluntarily, I don't qualify for any help." He seemed to be getting agitated; "I told the woman in the office that I've been a window cleaner all my life and I paid my taxes, so why can't I get help?"

"There's loads of people just like me around here. We all have our own story as to why we're here. We don't want to be here asking for money, but we are and we are dealing with it."

-

Michael agreed to let me come back and film him and put me in touch with others that want to tell their story.