‘Sanctuary’, a short film based on the lived experiences of Emmanuel House service users, has been released by homelessness charity Emmanuel House Support Centre in Nottingham. The 8-minute film is available to watch on the homepage of its website and the 30-second trailer can be watched on YouTube.
Commissioned to promote Emmanuel House’s #TacklingHomelessness Winter Appeal, ‘Sanctuary’ was directed and produced by Luke Radford, who co-directed the charity’s 2020 short film Lone, as well as BBC One’s Soul Boy. It stars Lucky Azad, Danish Latif and Shammi Aulakh, with music composed by Fergus Brignall. The film is set and filmed in Nottingham.
The film tells the story of Kareem, who has lived with the memories of family trauma and abuse since childhood. Unable to cope with these memories, his life begins to spiral and he becomes at risk of homelessness. The film tells his story and how he seeks to gain closure and, with support from Emmanuel House, move forward with his life.
Based on real people’s stories
‘Sanctuary’ is true to life and based on the lived experiences of Emmanuel House service users. The director met with Emmanuel House support workers and beneficiaries to learn more about homelessness prevention and to listen to different stories. Luke wrote the script based on the lived experiences of the people he spoke to.
Luke Radford, Director of ‘Sanctuary’, said: “Whilst Sanctuary is a fictional reimagining of service user stories, it was important that the film was rooted in reality and reflected real lived experiences.”
Importance of homelessness prevention
Denis Tully, CEO at Emmanuel House, said: “Anyone can become homeless, regardless of how secure they are in their current circumstances – people with jobs, families, friends and homes.
“A lot of Emmanuel House’s work is to do with preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place. A lot of our outreach work, like that of Kareem’s support worker in the film, is to do with helping people who are in poor accommodation and are vulnerable to becoming homeless. Many people that suffer with their mental health and childhood trauma often find it hard to manage the complexities involved with managing a tenancy and need support.
“‘Sanctuary’ demonstrates the impact that childhood trauma can have all the way through life. It is a significant factor that contributes to homelessness and it was important for us to show one of its many causes. A lot of the people we support suffer from the effects of trauma and when they arrive at Emmanuel House, we connect them with specialist services.
“We also want to show and celebrate the fortitude, resilience and strength of the people we support.”
Cast and crew
Sanctuary was Directed and Written by Luke Radford, Produced by Derry Shillitto, Edited by Toby Curson, with Cinematography by Jermaine Edwards.
Luke added: “Thanks to the incredibly talented cast and crew for being involved in the making of the film. I’m also very grateful to Emmanuel House beneficiaries and support workers for sharing their stories.”
How to watch ‘Sanctuary’
The full film can be watched on the home page of the Emmanuel House website and on YouTube.
For the full film credits, visit the Emmanuel House website.
