New film based on homeless man sleeping rough in Lancaster park

The tear-jerking new short film is set in Lancaster's Williamson Park and explores homelessness and social isolation.
Steve McGarry in I'm Human.Steve McGarry in I'm Human.
Steve McGarry in I'm Human.

I'm Human was written and directed by Lancaster film-maker Finley Clifton.The 20-year-old former Bowerham Primary and Lancaster Grammar School pupil said the concept for the film, which is just under 10 minutes long, came about while he was working on The Dukes Theatre's park show back in 2018.

"There was a man sleeping rough in the park who came to see the show every night and he would come and talk to the cast in the intervals," he said.

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"The park was very much his home and he seemed to be having a good time but this was during a heatwave where it didn’t rain for a solid month.

"He seemed to enjoy the company and attention.

"I honestly don’t know what happened to him after that but I haven’t seen him when dog walking around the park."

Finley, whose short film Silver Planes was shortlisted in the Best Student Film category of the Reading International Film Festival in Philadelphia, USA, in 2018, said I'm Human is also about empathy and isolation.

He said: "The opening line pretty much sums it up. 'You see people in shop doorways and park benches. You never think that could happen to me. Until it does. Then people don’t want to know you'.

The film is set in and around Lancaster.The film is set in and around Lancaster.
The film is set in and around Lancaster.
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"Although voiced by an actor, these words were all lifted from an interview with a man in Barrow talking about his personal experiences sleeping rough.

"We almost too easily disassociate with homeless people.

"As soon as they’re sat in a shop doorway they fit an archetype and you don’t feel the need to look deeper.

"I hate putting people into these boxes.

Williamson ParkWilliamson Park
Williamson Park

"There are so many stories behind everyone you see and the homeless that I’ve talked to all seem appreciative to be spoken to like human beings, which is where the title came from.

"One of the biggest issues I came across in interviews was definitely a sense of social isolation so this is what I tried to address.

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"It’s easy to walk past someone asking for change and turn away but you’ve got to think how hard it must be to pluck up the courage to ask a stranger for help."

The homeless man in the film is played by Steve McGarry, who also starred in Silver Planes.

The film focuses on homelessness, isolation and empathy.The film focuses on homelessness, isolation and empathy.
The film focuses on homelessness, isolation and empathy.

Finley said he tried to make the message of empathy hit home by bringing the viewer into the life of the man sleeping rough and slowly peeling back the layers showing how he found himself in that situation.

He said: "The initial plan for the film was to leave him a bit more anonymous by not showing the exact reason for him becoming homeless, but the film changed a lot in post production and a new story emerged after filming had finished."

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Finley said he has always thought Williamson Park is a brilliant backdrop for film.

He added: "The film was written around the park rather than having to find locations after writing the script."

Finley has other film concept ideas in the making, and is currently working on a short romance, drama that should be filming this spring.

He said: "It’s by far the biggest project I’ve done and is a statement about addictive technology, social media, and the silly excuses we come up with to not follow our dreams."