Having read about the closure of the Canterbury Night Shelter in 2009, film student Rosemarie Hugill set about producing a film which aimed to highlight the issues of homelessness in Canterbury and hopefully raise awareness to help solve it.

View the film here: click here

Since its launch the film has seen much acclaim for the way in which it accurately covers this sensitive aspect of society and the conclusions it draws about the injustice of homelessness.

You can view the full film immediately below plus read more about the background and research which helped make the film from Rosie herself below:

Making The Film

"Last October I came upon a small article in the Inquire, UKC's student newspaper, concerning the closing of the Scrine Foundation’s emergency night shelter due to a funding cut by Kent County Council. I was shocked that in the 21st century something so inhumane was allowed to happen. Before I started to investigate the subject of homelessness I had quite a naive perception of the government and the way in which they care for their people. The more I learned, however, the more disillusioned I became. Seriously ill and vulnerable people are falling through cracks in the system and are not getting the help that they need and deserve. The Scrine Foundation was providing these people with this necessary aid that, in my opinion, the government should have been providing in the first place. The fact that the council would then withdraw their crucial funding to the Scrine Foundation’s night shelter causing its closure is just unacceptable. This situation moved me to make this documentary."

Research

"While researching the film I spoke to many homeless people in the Scrine Foundation’s open centre as well as on the streets. One experience that I found very memorable was talking to a homeless man in one of the underpasses at the top of the high street. After speaking to him for a while he started crying, telling me that I shouldn't waste my time talking to him as he was a piece of s***. I then realized that the hard front that some homeless people put up is often covering a complete lack of self-esteem, which is frequently also connected to deep rooted mental health issues."

"I later still tried to offer him some change but he said that I had given him enough by just taking some time to chat to him. After about ten minutes two police officers came along and told him to 'move along'. I asked one of the police men ‘Where do you suggest that he goes? What do you suggest that he does?' The police man's snide reply was ‘How about he tries seeking some full time employment?’ I didn’t say anything at the time out of respect for the homeless man, but I felt like asking this policeman if he seriously thought that anyone would employ this man. The problems that he had with both substance abuse and mental health were substantial and in no way was he fit to work. I realized the complexity of the situation; begging is illegal, yet without places like the Scrine Foundation to support these people how else will they be able to support themselves?"

"Even though I did find the remark of this individual policeman rather insensitive, I don’t mean to suggest that they are in any way to blame, as they are also doing their job following orders that come from 'above'. The Council in my opinion seem in complete denial about the severity of the problem. Legislation needs to drastically be changed so that next time the police have to ‘move someone on’ they should be able to point them in the direction of a government funded shelter where they can not only find a bed for the night, but find the treatment that will help them to set their lives straight."

My Conclusions

"I believe there are many societal misconceptions surrounding homelessness, many that I myself harboured before I started making this documentary. Homelessness seems to be quite a 'taboo' subject and is often ignored. Society appears to have also become quite desensitised towards homelessness. We have become 'used' to seeing homeless people on the high street of Canterbury. With ‘Underpass’ I hope to create some understanding and awareness about homelessness as well as stressing the importance of charities such as the Scrine Foundation, who dedicate themselves to helping those in need."

"Moreover, I think it is necessary for the central government to reassess its policies concerning homelessness and have a centralized legislation. Especially homelessness' connection with mental health issues needs to be given more attention. In this day and age in England you would never see a physically disabled person sleeping on the streets, yet homeless people that are ‘disabled’ by their mental health issues don’t seem to be given the same kind of help. There is not a ‘quick-fix’ for many homeless people; just giving them their own accommodation will not solve the issues that are at the root of their problems, and they will most likely end up back on the streets if these issues aren’t addressed. Charities such as The Scrine Foundation offer their service users mental health care and help with substance abuse, so that they can truly work towards healing themselves and their lives. These charities are truly indispensable; I just hope that the government will properly support them in the future."