3500+ Films - 2.5 million words – 1 million viewers! Founder and Curator Carmela selects some of our most entertaining, powerful and inspiring Home / Less films at We Are Moving Stories. These include short drama and documentary covering women’s stories and homelessness, films by homeless filmmakers, solutions for the unhoused and what home means for immigrants who cross borders.
Total length of this section: 23 films.
<WOMEN’S STORIES>
Scrap - After getting laid off, young single-mom Beth (Vivian Kerr) finds herself living in her car and struggles to hide her homelessness from her estranged brother Ben (Anthony Rapp). Length: 21 minutes. Writer/Producer/Actor Vivian Kerr and Producer Rachel Stander:
“VIVIAN: I’ve lived in Los Angeles for over a decade and seen how the homeless crisis has worsened over the years, so I wanted to make a film that touched on that issue. But, more than that, I’m interested in the secrets that we keep, why we hide some of our most painful truths from the people who love us the most.”
Hollywood's Finest - Three mothers fight to create a family: McKenzie, a young woman in recovery who became pregnant while living in a tent; Cat, her nomadic mom; and Leslie, the social worker with her own history of addiction, housing insecurity, and losing children to foster care. Length: 78 minutes. Interview with Director Claire Hannah Collins:
“By focusing on the intimacy of the relationships between mothers and daughters, we recognize that homelessness has never been an isolated problem.”
Scrap - After getting laid off, a young single mom (Vivian Kerr) struggles to hide her homelessness from her estranged brother (Anthony Rapp) and his wife (Lana Parrilla). Length: 1 hour 45 minutes. Writer/Director/Actor Vivian Kerr and Producer Rachel Stander:
“It’s really a film about personal responsibility, and how difficult it is to claw your way forward when you feel immense shame and feel like the chips are down. In the film, my character Beth says, “Maybe for some people, the road just doesn’t rise to meet you,” and she’s just in this hopeless, cynical place. I feel so many people can relate to that. I know I feel better when I see characters on screen that are really at a crossroads in their life. It makes me feel less alone.”
Home - A naive young nurse lets a disheveled old homeless man into her home and feeds him. Although the man clearly has psychological problems, she forces him to stay for her own mysterious reasons. Length: 5 minutes. Writer/Director Dream Thanika Jenjesda:
“My script is originally inspired by being in LA for the first time and seeing so much homeless people like I haven’t seen anywhere else in the world before. And I thought to myself that each one of them must have their story, once in their life they must be a very respectable person with family and loved ones. So I did some research, the truth is most of them have mental problems or health problems only so few do it because they don’t have a choice.”
K-Town - Kang, an immigrant broker living in K-town in L.A., struggles to save a little girl from the illegal immigrant industry. Length: 14 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Eunhye Hong Kim:
“I’m a Korean living in Los Angeles who deeply cares about immigrant society in the United States. During my research of immigrant society, I’ve got to know some people who crossed the US/Mexico border illegally and got a chance to listen to their stories. That’s how I started to make this film.”
Izilwane - Grace, a struggling, homeless woman battles to provide a better life for her 6-year-old brother, Kgosi, as she yearns to one day take him to the beach. But, this dream is halted when Kgosi, goes missing. Grace must then hunt for the man who she believes has her brother. Along the way she discovers more than she intended, and must make an impossible choice. Length: 22 minutes. Writer/Director Kyllian Roux:
“The themes explored throughout the narrative are ones close to my heart. Most of the characters and events in this film are inspired by real people and events which I have seen from doing charity work in the city of Johannesburg. I have seen everything from young women with rotting flesh on their feet sleep under highways in mid-winter, to watching grown men cry for their kids that they aren’t allowed to see.”
Micky - In San Francisco, where homelessness is rapidly growing, a young woman travels the streets in search of a home and independence but discovers that comfort is not always a place. Length: 12 minutes. Writer/Director Aimee Hoffman:
“I believe that the lead character Micky is someone that many people could relate to, her rebelliousness, her teenage angst, insecurity, vulnerability, and strength. All against the backdrop of a part of San Francisco that is often avoided or misunderstood by many people who live and visit there.”
Lollie - A young lunch lady in Brazil needs to fight the world to protect her one-of-a-kind friendship with Lola, a 70-year-old mentally disabled homeless woman. Length: 20 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer/Editor Agnes Shinozaki:
“I am from Brazil and this film was born from a true story of a Brazilian family. The first time I read about this woman who’d adopted an elderly disabled woman, I cried for hours, tears that were both happy and sad - which for me, it’s the absolute best type of tears. I had the instant feeling that this story should be told and heard everywhere. I have a duty as a filmmaker to create relevant stories and this is a big one.”
Rose-colored - Raised homeless and later abandoned as a child, Rosalie copes with being left behind, living month-to-month out of a motel until receiving an invitation to revisit her past. Length: 12 minutes. Writer/Producer Brittany Wait:
“It’s a story about abandonment and forgiveness. Is it possible to forgive someone who pretends like it never happened? In this story, how do you forgive someone who is dead?”
How much do you love yourself? - Viktorija is a homeless girl who explores abandoned buildings and takes photos of them. She is constantly looking for a place to stay – with running water and a warm bed. Her husband is in prison. When he gets out, they have big plans: to find a place to stay, to get a job, to stop using, to start a new life. Will they make it? Through their story, the film talks about universal human desires: to be loved and to belong – someplace, with someone. But first, we have to love ourselves. Length: 82 minutes. Writer/Director Nina Blažin:
“When Viktorija first saw the documentary she was very emotional, in some parts she wasn’t very proud. But she believes the film has to be seen as it gives us a glimpse into the world which we usually don’t want to see, most of us look away.”
Vagabonds - follows the story of Rachel, a young woman in her early 20's, who lives with her Nigerien uncle (Danny Glover) and his American wife (Edythe Davis). When the girl's aunt has had enough of her niece's free-spirited lifestyle she kicks her out of the house, giving her husband, Rachel's quiet-spoken uncle, little say on the matter. Rachel is left to figure it out on her own, but quickly runs into Skeeter, a washed-up movie star whose life is surprisingly similar to hers. Length: 16 minutes. Writer/Director Magaajyia Silberfeld:
“It’s a very personal story and struggling and being homeless is definitely a universal theme. So these two combine quite well in my film.”
Woman Outside Directed by Shelly Lauman
Woman Outside - every day an abused homeless woman’s cries for help go unnoticed. When she encounters a lonely business woman, and recognizes this stranger’s isolation as her own, she pursues this chance connection as a chance for her survival. Length: 20 minutes. Writer/Director Shelly Lauman:
“She is the what we see; what we notice first. The outside appearance, the perception - a woman yelling in a park, a woman going to work - she is a description. We either accept or dismiss her according to what we are comfortable with. She presents herself to the world in the best way she knows how and that is what we see. On the inside, however, is her invisibleness, her fullness, her pain, her joy, her need to connect. Her voice. Her humanness.”
<HOMELESS FILMMAKERS>
I am Levester Joe Green II - We begin at a crossroads, when Levester must decide whether to once more attempt to navigate the labyrinthine social service system that has seen him homeless for nearly a decade, or to shun convention permanently and rely solely on his poetry to keep himself alive (if in spirit alone). Length: 31 minutes. Writer/Director Levester Green:
“What are your thoughts about reparations? How were those ever resolved? How can we make amends? The impacts of slavery are still seen and felt today in this country because there’s a crack in our foundation.”
The Late Show - 55-year-old Morgan Jones is on a quest to become an intern on the Late Show in David Letterman’s last season on air, a bold effort by a hospitality management student to extricate himself from two decades stuck in transitional housing. Length: 21 minutes. Writer/Director Morgan Jones:
“I’m a little bit older at my age. I want younger people to be inspired to pull themselves out of poverty. I want it to have a positive impact. I want people to find out what they want to do and how to do it. I want people to achieve the goals they want to achieve in life.”
Raise to Rise - Experience D.C. General from the inside as a brave mother raising her two-year-old daughter maintains a secret iPhone diary of their time at a shelter notorious for its uninhabitable conditions and structural neglect. Length: 29 minutes. Writer/Director Sasha Williams:
“I want more people to understand that people are human beings regardless of their living situation. When you see someone on the street or someone struggling to find housing stability, say hello and encourage them.”
Fairness Raising -This film tells the story of the People for Fairness Coalition, an advocacy group made up of unhoused and formerly unhoused men and women seeking to stand up for themselves and the city’s most vulnerable. Length: 29 minutes. Director Reginald Black:
“The film itself is real. We went out into the community to film and found voices that normally wouldn’t even get the time of day. We displayed some of the pros and cons to our political and social positions in the world. I even have it out with someone who is equipped to help a homeless person but who instead chooses to use forceful enforcement.”
All I've Got & Then Some - A day in the life of a stand-up comedian living in his car and dating a girl who lives two cars behind him. We follow comic Rasheed over the course of a day as he tries to make it to his first paid gig while avoiding disastrous mishaps and moonlighting as a ride-share driver. Length: 1 hour 20 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Tehben Dean and Writer/Director/Producer Rasheed Stephens:
“Our film is a very personal story based on Rasheed’s real experience in Los Angeles. It’s a story about overcoming challenges and never giving up on a dream. A theme that is universally relatable, but especially for artists in Hollywood.”
Chocolate - Follow Eve, a housewife and mother who unexpectedly becomes homeless in downtown Los Angeles. Chocolate sparks conversations surrounding the harsh realities faced by those living on the streets, challenging common misconceptions of mental health struggles as mere drug abuse or laziness. Length: 14:30 Writer/Director/Editor Thiago Dadalt:
“Chocolate is a call to acknowledge the invisible battles many face and to recognize our shared humanity. I created Chocolate to ignite change and conversation, and by watching it, you become part of this important dialogue.”
<SOLUTIONS>
Homeless Street Artist - Documentary follows the lives of three homeless artists as they create art to survive. With the odds stacked against them. See how they heal through art. Length: 31 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Tysen Knight:
“The documentary has evolved into something special. Everything clicked and production was smooth. My passion to make this film opened so many doors beyond my wildest dreams.”
Saturday Grace - A young woman, filled with grief and struggling with her faith, forms an unexpected bond with a homeless lady via dance. Length: 7 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer/Editor Patrice D. Bowman:
“If you want to see a short (7 minutes) and moving story about faith, loss, friendship, and art, you should watch Saturday Grace. You should also watch Saturday Grace if you want to see more on-screen depictions of multifaceted female characters of color. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy a good dance number? There are two in my film!”
<BORDERS>
THE GOOD FROM THE BAD Written and Directed by Edward Tyndall
THE GOOD FROM THE BAD - an outcast combat veteran living amidst the desolation of the South Texas border country finds common ground with an undocumented immigrant fighting for her life on the migrant trail. Length: 17 minutes. Edward Tyndall writes:
“The themes of compassion, tolerance and the individual vs. society operate very strongly in The Good From the Bad. These themes are played out through the film’s simple but powerful plot structure. The setting of the South Texas brush country also plays a very important role in conveying these themes.”
2500 km - from the U.S border in a small town in Guatemala. Sandra, a young mother of two is faced with the decision between trying to fix her relationship with her abusive husband or run away to U.S in the hopes to find the American dream of a better life. Length: 22 Minutes. Writer/Director Daniela Arguello:
“When I was 13 I moved to Florida from Guatemala City where I had the chance to meet a group of undocumented women who shared their story with me. I was impacted by their stories and amazed how even though all of them came here from different countries their stories were very similar. They were all running away from violence, especially domestic abuse. As a filmmaker I felt the responsibility to bring the story to life and to a bigger audience to give another perspective about the way illegal immigration is viewed in the United States and show people that there’s another side to the story and a huge group of women who needs their stories to be heard.”
THROUGH THE WALL is a short documentary about a family divided by the US/Mexico border. Abril is living undocumented in the United States with her 2 year-old boy Julián. Julián’s father was stopped by police for a minor traffic incident and was deported back to Mexico. In order to see each other, Uriel, Abril and Julián must cross difficult terrain to reach the border fence where they spend time together through the wall. Length: 6 Minutes. Writer/Director Tim Nackashi:
“We’re hoping that more people will get a glimpse of this surreal situation that the mother and father and their child are caught in, and to calm down the political fever, taking this down to the basic conversation about humanity and inclusiveness.”
Symphony of a Sad Sea - Hugo, a Mexican boy victim of the violence in the country, flees from his town with the dream of crossing to the US to meet his father, who is the only relative that he has and to forget the past. Length: 12 minutes. Producer Claudia Vicke:
“Just because it is a different story, he is not the usual victim. Hugo is not the common kid that we are used to seeing in the movies, and the way that we try to show him... I think it’s a good but bitter experience.”