For anyone who lives a busy life and is well into their groove as they go about their daily business, there seems to be little time, particularly in any of the key culturally-versed cities of the world, to stop and think about those less fortunate than ourselves.
In London there appears – or seems to be – a down-on-their-luck individual determined to coax some form of charity out of those who are more fortunate. The theme of homelessness is a very real – and truly scary – prospect for those who sadly find themselves in it.
It is also a world that some of us never even think about because we are so sure that it could never happen to us.
The truth is, it can – and does happen to the characters that inhabit Marc Zammit‘s new independent, crowd-funded feature HOMELESS ASHES.
Related post: Independent Film Homeless Ashes Lands UK Cinema Release
Shot over four years at a cost of £100,000, HOMELESS ASHES tells of trials and tribulations of a boy-turned-man called Frankie (played as a boy and adult by Hector Bateman-Harden and director Marc Zammit).
Frankie lives in a toxic home as a child, raised by his loving mother Abbie (Angela Dixon, ADVENTURE BOYZ) and abusive father Stuart (Dean Maskell). After an incident of domestic violence, he runs away from home, where he finds himself in a fairground and in the care of drug addicts Viv (Kirsty J. Curtis) and Ryan (Lee Hunter), who use him to steal to secure drugs. He finds solace in a girl, Nicole (Jamey May) and a fast food truck vendor, Gavin (Jason Flemyng).
Ten years later and in adulthood, Frankie is mulling along and finds a bond with fellow homeless person Chico (Lew Temple – THE WALKING DEAD) who himself has found himself in tragic circumstances. They find that the world can also be a positive place and their lives can be transformed by the people they interact with. However, Frankie also senses that home could still be a valid place for him…
One conjures up specific images of homelessness when we see them on the streets, but HOMELESS ASHES attempts to get to the heart of why somebody ends up where they are and subverts a lot of expectations. It is a very real situation and Zammit did a lot of research by connecting with the real deal and learning about why things are the way they are.
Zammit comes from a low-income, council estate background and whilst some of the realities are standard, his own take on the story is to show a broader range of the sort of characters who we are not aware of, either by circumstance or by impression.
Performance is everything – and once again an independent British film gives us some amazing examples, particularly the young Bateman-Harden, who can be seen soon in the new TV series FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL and Zammit who combines his behind-the-camera skills with a highly emotional performance that captures the adult Frankie’s journey.
The ever-watchable Dixon continues to show her range of talents in the pivotal role as Abbie in key scenes and both Temple and Flemyng provide solid support as the guiding lights for Frankie as he makes sense – or no sense at times – of the circumstances.
The film could easily be a heart-wrenching cynical look at the streets, but Zammit, working from a script by George Wilcox, finds moments of ironic and poignant humour which cut through the sadness. The obvious message is there, but HOMELESS ASHES gives the audience a straightforward – and straight-talking – drama that should give everyone food for thought – and hope that they will never find themselves where Frankie and his street-based family are.
This is an extraordinary achievement and a model of Independent British Cinema that others would do well to follow, not just as a piece of solid narrative storytelling, but as an inspiration to make a film as well.
Ultimately, the film should raise awareness of an ongoing and never-ending problem that politicians are now attempting to address, not just in the UK, but worldwide, as millions like Frankie are in the same boat.
Have you seen HOMELESS ASHES yet? What do you think of the movie? As always, we like to know what you think, so let us know your thoughts below, tweet us @filmandtvnow or leave a comment on our Facebook page.
