Homeless collaborate on short film about life on the street

A GROUP of men staying under lockdown at the Denis Hurley Centre (DHC) have brought their creative ideas and lived experiences together to write, direct, and perform in a short film.

‘No Kings of the Street’ was written and directed by Sandile Mthembu, produced by Lwazi Sithole, and made entirely with a cast and crew of men staying at the DHC, assisted by two Durban-based filmmakers, Michael James and Jared Hinde.

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The 20-minute film serves as a cautionary tale of life on the streets told by people who have experienced these harsh realities first-hand and can be watched on YouTube.

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The film, made with zero budget, zero props, limited time, and two simple cameras, is testimony to the commitment and creativity of the men and to the human capacity to create meaning even in the midst of struggle and tribulation. It highlights the vital importance of story-telling as a way of connecting human beings beyond the confines of race, class, gender and faith.

“We as people each have our own part to tell of the essential human story and to this end, we are proud of these men who were bold enough to begin telling their part of the tale,” said Raymond Perrier, director of the DHC.

The specific story of writer/ director Sandile Mthembu is one of those featured in a project developed by photographer Samora Chapman, who, along with another visual artist is raising funds for the DHC.  Chapman has used words and pictures to tell the stories of some of the homeless men and women during lockdown. High-res, signed, limited edition prints of the portraits are available to buy. The project is called Street Dreamers and it is balanced by Street Dreamscapes – beautiful ink drawings by Nikhil Tricam who reminds us of the images of the city from before Corona.

“Many thanks to Samora for his generosity and to Nikhil whose ink drawings have been selling extremely well. Thanks also to UKZN Jazz Centre who – with 20 pianists and a paying audience of 17 – made our first ever on-line fundraising concert a great success,” said Raymond.

Both sets of works can be viewed and bought via www.samorachapman.com. To donate, visit: www.denishurleycentre.org.

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