Curzon Canterbury Westgate is showing the documentary on 10 October
by
Mikkel Juel Iversen
When the lives of hundreds of people abandoned on the streets of London during Covid are in jeopardy, a passionate group of volunteers decide to take action.
On 23rd March 2020, our bustling streets became deserted overnight. People had been ordered to “stay at home”. Everyone and everything had gone. Everyone apart from society’s most ostracised group: people affected by homelessness.
This was also a time when many found themselves homeless for the first time. Construction sites, hospitality venues and retail shops closing meant an immediate drying up of income for a lot of people. Landlords’ fear of Covid left flat sharers on the street and the late closing of UK airspace meant even tourists got trapped with nowhere to go. The film gives a voice to those left on the streets at the worst possible moment.
A couple of days before the national lockdown the small community group Under One Sky with a history of doing street outreach a few times in the winter months took a walk through the streets of Central London to get a sense of what support had been put in place for those affected by street homelessness. They discovered that close to all existing support had vanished.
Seeing the desperate situation, started a daily emergency response. Within weeks a handful of people grew into a movement with hundreds of brave Londoners coming together to support “the forgotten ones”. I’M STILL HERE shows what can be achieved through community, compassion and connection.
Among the first people to join the emergency response were director Franc Vissers and co-director Elizabeth Healey. They were confronted with a human tragedy playing out in front of their eyes. Both being film/TV professionals in their non-lockdown lives they felt a need to document the injustice put upon some of society’s most vulnerable individuals.
It was only months later that the idea to shape the many hours of footage into a film emerged. Under One Sky founder and the film’s producer Mikkel Juel Iversen reached out to Downton Abbey actor Elizabeth McGovern who was an active volunteer during the Covid period. She came in to lend her support for the fledgling film project which pushed the project into motion. Elizabeth has supported the film financially, creatively and commercially in her role as executive producer.
Despite being made on a shoestring budget Franc Vissers’ decades behind the camera truly shows on the screen. The film is being distributed by the small team who made it and any profits from the film are being donated to Under One Sky and the key protagonists on screen.
I’M STILL HERE started its public life at Chichester Film Festival where it was awarded the second highest audience score of all films playing at the festival. After being selected for “The Spirit of Raindance Award’ at Raindance Film Festival 2024, I’M STILL HERE is now in competition at the British Independent Film Awards 2024 (BIFA) for BEST documentary, and the BIFA MAVERICK AWARD 2024.
The I’M STILL HERE team are working with 8 cinemas across the UK to show the film on World Homeless Day (10 Oct). Curzon is giving the film full support by donating 3 screening locations. The film screens at Curzon Canterbury Westgate on Thursday 10 Oct at 6.20pm: https://www.curzon.com/films/im-still-here-homelessness-documentary/HO00005776/
Links:
Guardian Article: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/apr/27/london-coronavirus-sacked-hospitality-workers-sleeping-rough
I’M STILL HERE Insta: https://www.instagram.com/imstillherethefilm/
Under One Sky Insta: https://www.instagram.com/underonesky_london/
Under One Sky Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Under1Sky/
Under One Sky webpage: https://underoneskytogether.com/
Mikkel Juel Iversen is the founder of homeless charity Under One Sky which operates in London and Newcastle. He believes compassion-based community building is a critical component to improving most social issues and is passionate about engaging people in shaping society.
Prior to Under One Sky becoming his full time occupation he spent 20 years in the film/TV industry working with Universal Studios and as an independent producer.
MORE ABOUT THE FILM
FILM: I’M STILL HERE (feature documentary – 76 mins)
TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/@ImStillHereFilm
PITCH: An object lesson in how to campaign quietly and effectively, this thought-provoking documentary is as much a historical record as a plea for compassion towards the homeless.
SYNOPSIS: I’M STILL HERE is a story about social isolation, the value of community and the power of human connection. As the Covid19 lockdowns began a small group of volunteers from Under One Sky stepped out into the desolate city to serve and connect. In a matter of weeks hundreds of Londoners had joined the group. What they discovered was not only their own community, but one that was entwined with their new friends on the streets. Through their efforts we meet some of the many people who had been forgotten. We follow their experience, hear their stories and reveal powerful insights into homelessness and humanity.
QUOTE: ‘This film gives us hope: by saving others we save ourselves. It gives us a way forward’ Elizabeth McGovern
AUDIENCE FEEDBACK: ‘This film has changed my relationship with homelessness’
NON-PROFIT: Any and all profits from the film are donated to homeless charity Under One Sky
DIRECTOR: Franc Vissers (director) and Elizabeth Healey (co-director)
EXEC PRODUCERS: Elizabeth McGovern (Downton) and Misfit’s Ian Bonhote/Dee Ryder (Superman: The Christopher Reeve Story, McQueen, Rising Phoenix).
UK RELEASE HISTORY: The film has played at a number of festivals in the UK and US, most recently at Raindance. After being selected for “The Spirit of Raindance Award’ at Raindance Film Festival 2024, I’M STILL HERE is now in competition at the British Independent Film Awards 2024 (BIFA) for BEST documentary, and the BIFA MAVERICK AWARD 2024. It has run on 4 commercial screens in the UK (Picturehouse and Really Local Group) selling 80+ tickets at each screening without any paid marketing.
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