Established 2005 Registered Charity No. 1110656

Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760

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The truth about homelessness

March 06 2012
?Ǭ© Ben Millar-Cole ?Ǭ© Ben Millar-Cole
 A new short film starring a Stoke on Trent actor shows some hope

 

For such a pertinent issue, it’s fair to say homelessness has been given short shrift by the film industry. So amidst clichéd rags-to-riches tales and gritty social realism, it’s refreshing to discover that new short film The Truth About Stanley, featuring young Stoke-on-Trent actor Raif Clarke, provides an enlightening portrayal of homelessness.

The film, whose profits will be divided between The Big Issue Foundation and Anchor House, follows an unlikely friendship between young runaway Sam, played by Raif Clarke, and rough sleeper Stanley, played by Kenyan star Oliver Litondo. Set against a backdrop of homeless London, Congolese Stanley takes Sam under his wing where he enchants him with fantastical tales of his past, leaving Sam struggling to differentiate fact from fiction.

Although a charitable film wasn’t director and co-writer Lucy Tcherniak’s original intention, she is pleased with how the project unfolded. “The Truth About Stanley began as a short film script, written as a standalone piece,” she explains. “When producer Tom Clark came on board, the idea to raise awareness and money for homeless charities came to light. Homelessness is something I’ve always been conscious of and this film has made me even more so.”

Shot almost entirely on a handheld camera, the film roams from character to character, exploring the value of storytelling versus truth. Stanley’s whimsical, and at times implausible, tales create endless ambiguities for Sam, but it is clear that his penchant for storytelling hides less fanciful truths. “It’s about the ways in which people escape from their troubles,” says Lucy. “For Stanley, it’s through his vivid imagination. It’s the one thing that can never be taken away from him.”

Researching the realities about homelessness was very important to Lucy who spoke to a number of rough sleepers while making the film. “We were helped by a lovely lady called Viv who had slept rough for years and now sells The Big Issue. She told us some fascinating stories that influenced some of the scenes. We also visited food handouts, which helped us to decide on quite a few locations.”

For the film’s youngest star, 12-year-old Raif, the experience of playing runaway Sam was eye-opening. “Playing Sam made me realise that for some young people life at home can be so bad that they have no choice but to run away and live on the streets. I was really shocked by what can happen.”

The film’s cast and crew all worked for free in the making of The Truth About Stanley and several residents of Anchor House appear as supporting artists. The charitable intentions of the film could have resulted in a rose-tinted account of homelessness, but Lucy is quick to point out that this isn’t the case. “Our charitable partners have allowed us to retain complete creative control. It’s not like the film ends with our lead character being saved by a charity or escaping life on the streets.” Lucy hopes the film will generate awareness of homeless charities in a far more philosophical way than the usual doe-eyed charity appeal, however she is sceptical as to whether filmmaking is the new fundraising. “We would end up with contrived storylines shoehorning charity angles just for the sake of it.”

So what then, is the truth about Stanley? “I won’t pretend the ending isn’t dark, but it is tinged with a little hope,” says Lucy.

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