A Truthful Film About Homelessness

Lorna Tucker, director of a new film about homelessness, “Someone’s Daughter, Somone’s Son” was one of the Evening Standard’s most influential Londoners in 2018 and named a Break Out Film Maker to watch by Harpers and Elle magazines. When she was 15, she was sleeping on the streets of the city, suffering violence and abuse. 

Her film is realistic about the pain, the dangers and the difficulties homelessness inflicts on those experiencing it. At the same time, it is hopeful, showing that there is a path out, both at an individual and a society level.  This isn’t Lorna Tucker’s first film, and she hesitated before making it. She hesitated even more before including her own story. The reason she did was to deliver a call to action to government and to society.

The opening sequence of home video from her own childhood paired with commentary on how her life developed is unforgettable and she is very open about what she went through. She presents the stories of others too, both those who have been able to turn their back on the streets and are now helping others, and those who have yet to. Alongside those voices, she talks to policymakers and campaigners about the work they do and looks at ways in which the issue can be addressed.

The result is a truthful documentary, with the message that homelessness is not inevitable and not unsolvable. Tackling it is a matter of collective will. 

Someone’s Daughter, Someone’s Son is being screened at Curzon and other cinemas in March. Tickets here: https://www.someonesdaughterfilm.org/screenings. Her memoir, Bare is appearing on 23 May.

by Peter van der Sluijs, New Hope volunteer