Nominated for Spirit of Raindance Award
In 2020, with everything locked down, the people left abandoned on the streets of London are given a voice, and the actions of an emerging community organization, Under One Sky, highlights the power of human connection.
The 2020 Covid pandemic sent us to the places we feel most safe – our homes. But hundreds of Londoners had no home to go to. Not only were they left on the streets as an unknown virus spread; but they were deprived of the kindness of passing strangers that previously offered some support.
Here enters Under One Sky, a volunteer organisation set up to assist London’s homeless people. At a time when self-preservation held sway, in I’m Still Here we see brave, humane attempts to help those who needed it most.
Directors Franc Vissers and Elizabeth Healey are each in their own way part of the story, and give compelling evidence that documentarians can get involved with their subject and still maintain an objective eye. With the assistance of executive producers including Downton Abbey’s Elizabeth McGovern, this micro-budget project has found a wider audience, who will experience the pandemic through a different lens – one that is both wider and more precise.
As one subject of the film notes, London’s streets “are not paved with gold, they’re paved with cold.” This film makes us feel some of that chill; while also exposing us to the righteous fire that stands against it.
Review by Pauline Rieux
Short before Feature: Suppression
19 Minutes | Director: Julia Varvara | UK
A damaged psychoanalyst is forced to look inside himself and face his own demons when a detained killer gets under his skin. A dark tale about the consequences of holding in our pain in life. Critics have compared this film to classics like Primal Fear and Silence Of The Lambs.
Cast: Adam Morse, Gary Beadle, Rayna Campbell, Gary Mavers
Producers: Adam Morse, Liz Venezia, Jason Mathewson
Writers: Adam Morse, Callum McGowan
