Short Back & Sidewalks, MITP Agency and Till Death deliver a fresh cut of their new short film
The teams collaborated to create a beautiful film that shares the story of Short Back & Sidewalks’ impact on people experiencing homelessness.
A Portrait of Hair tells the story of Theo and Perri, a young couple living in their car. Theo reflects on their life, their dreams and their hopes for the future, while illustrating how the simple act of providing a haircut and a positive connection can give confidence and connection to members of the community who are often marginalised.
Short Back & Sidewalks is a not-for-profit organisation providing free haircuts across Australia to people experiencing homelessness. From their start in a Perth car park in 2015, the not-for-profit has grown to a national team of over 200 volunteers and a small paid team to bring their services across other states and territories, as well as throughout regional WA.
The film takes a glimpse into the work of SBSW volunteers Erin and Minh to see the kindness and compassion in their service. It’s about much more than a haircut and conversation – it’s about connecting with those that often feel disconnected from the community to ensure they leave the barber’s chair feeling self confident, seen and heard.
Founder and Board Director of Short Back & Sidewalks, Craig Hollywood, said: “The image of homelessness that comes into our heads of the person pushing the trolley along the street needs to change. There are close to 123,000 people experiencing homelessness in Australia on any given night, yet only 6.2% of these people are visibly sleeping rough. The majority are in crisis accommodation, rooming houses, insecure housing, overcrowded dwellings, couch surfing or sleeping in cars like Theo & Perri.”
“There’s a stigma attached to people experiencing homelessness and it’s something this film so beautifully and boldly challenges. The fact this entire project was created pro-bono by the local creative community is an illustration of everything Short Back & Sidewalks is about. And that is, to create positive community connections whilst using our skills to help those in need.”
MITP Head of Production, Courtney Dagasso, said: “After speaking with Craig from Short Back & Sidewalks, I immediately saw the potential to create something great. It was clear Till Death would be the perfect choice to Direct and help assemble a team of remarkable creatives, all generously donating their time and talents to the project. Together, we’ve crafted a short film that truly showcases the impact of Short Back & Sidewalks.”
A Portrait of Hair was released on August 5, coinciding with National Homelessness Week. Help support Short Back & Sidewalks by volunteering or donating at www.shortbackandsidewalks.com
Credits
Creative & Production: MITP Agency
Producer & Creative: Courtney Dagasso
Writer & Director: Melle Branson (Till Death)
Co Producer: Melle Branson (Till Death)
DP: Tim Fitzgerald
AC: Jesse Lee
Editor & Grade: Denzil Heeger
Sound: Alexander Blocher
Stills Photography: Kaleb Woodward
Production Assistant: Dante Antonelli
Equipment Hire: Raz Rentals
Design: Patrick Ball
Audio Post Facility: Cue Sound
Audio Post Producer: Anika Fourie
Dialogue Editor: Shaun Sandosham
SFX Editor: Mike Fragomenti
Mixer: Nick Gallagher
Project Manager & Creative: Anais Randall
Strategy: Alex Paioff
FEATURING
Theo & Perri
Erin & Minh (Short Back & Sidewalks Volunteers)
SPECIAL THANKS
Perth Inner City Youth Services
Little Fort Productions (Shane Van Listenbourgh)
The Backlot Perth (Ian Hale)
12 Comments
Thank you to the supremely talented people at MITP Agency and Melle Branson from Till Death who gave their time for free to bring this project to life and to everyone involved who made this film possible. Anais Randall, Courtney Dagasso, Alex Paioff, Denzil Heeger, Alexander Blocher, Kaleb Woodward, Dante Antonelli, Patrick Ball, Anika Fourie, Shaun Sandosham, Michael Fragomeni, Ian Hale and Shane van Litsenborgh, Theo, Perri, Erin & Minh. An amazingly impactful community effort.
I adore this, such a beautiful piece of film.
WOW, that’s so authentic and beautiful. Congrats to all involved, especially Theo and Perri for sharing your story. ❤️
DMoney still got it!
Big fans of all parties involved. This film is beautiful, I’m so glad it exists. Will definitely be checking out the org.
It’s a beautifully shot piece of film but surely there was a better story that could have been told. This person loves their life. They love their hair too. Good for them. But they’re already more self assured and happier than most people I know! So why am I going to donate or volunteer?
The fact you assumed that people experiencing homelessness don’t love their life or hair speaks to the stigma this piece seems to be wanting to break away from.
Direction is gorggggeous
Amazing client, great team, perfect director choice. This is what it’s all about when we talk about keeping great talent working in WA 🥰
That’s a solid point about keeping work in WA, but they worked for free, so there is that…
Would love to do paid work, if that still exists?!
Yeah, sorry, my point is that when people are paid to work and create locally, they’re able to be part of the community and donate time, energy and craft to clients and causes like this. Keeping the ecosystem alive and vibrant doesn’t just mean working on the paying clients, it allows us all to create additional value for the community.