Homelessness on the streets of the UK has reached epidemic levels over the past decade. This no-frills documentary explores the reasons for the rising numbers – and possible solutions. It’s an issue that the director Lorna Tucker can speak about with more authority than most; she was herself a teenage runaway who slept rough in London. Now, 25 years later, she connects with homeless people around the country, gathering stories of dysfunctional childhoods, broken marriages, substance abuse and sheer bad luck – perfect storms of bleak circumstances that conspire to tip lives off balance and on to the streets. It’s not particularly cinematic, but this heartfelt, campaigning film should be required viewing for all serving politicians, especially those who dismiss street homelessness as a “lifestyle choice”.
