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🎬 Commissioned by Emmanuel House Support Centre
🖊️ Directed by Luke Radford and co-produced by Modular Films
🎥 Shot over 4 days in 9 locations across Nottingham
💬 Based on real stories from the homeless community
Sanctuary is a story about what happens when everything falls away. No job. No roof. No one to call.
We were approached by Emmanuel House - a Nottingham-based support centre for people experiencing homelessness - to create a short film which would put their cause front and centre. But instead of a talking-head explainer or a glossy promo, we proposed something quieter. More affecting.
A narrative piece.
Based on the stories of the people who’d been there.
In their own words.
It would be told entirely through a voiceover, as opposed to dialogue - a patchwork of real stories, threaded together by one man’s voice. His thoughts, his memories, his trauma.
We chose to strip everything back. No interviews. No dialogue. Just imagery and internal monologue.
This meant everything on screen had to earn its place. The locations, props, costumes - all built to reinforce a feeling of isolation and memory.
We cast a brilliant local actor to portray the main character and used handheld cinematography and natural light to stay close to the street and keep things real. We didn’t want pity - we wanted empathy.
To make the film feel lived-in and real, we worked closely with Emmanuel House’s outreach team, who connected us with people who had experienced homelessness. Their stories became the emotional bedrock of the script.
🎬 An 8-minute narrative short with which premiered in a cinema
✍️ A voiceover-only script built from real-life interviews
📍 15 scenes filmed in 9 different Nottingham locations
🏚️ Authentic set dressing and production design
🎥 Shot on the ARRI Alexa Mini with vintage lenses for texture and warmth
🎞️ Full post-production including edit, sound design, grade and delivery
🎼 Bespoke music score after trialling 10 different tracks
🗺️ We had just 4 days to shoot across multiple city locations - from underpasses and hostels to back gardens and bus stops.
🎬 The voiceover was delivered in a tone close to whisper - like the audience was trespassing on someone’s thoughts.
🧑🦲 Our lead actor remained in character during breaks to help maintain the emotional weight.
🎧 The sound design was built to reflect his internal headspace - ambient, distant, heavy.
💡 Lighting was kept minimal to reflect the cyclical nature of his days - repetition, routine, and a low horizon.
💛 The film was used in fundraising campaigns and supporter events
📲 Shared widely by local charities, local government authorities and other organisations
🏫 Now shown in training sessions for social workers and outreach volunteers
🎬 Supported Emmanuel House’s website and social channels
Because someone sleeping rough isn’t a statistic. They’re a story.
Sanctuary was made to get under the skin. Not to explain the facts - but to feel the fear, the fatigue, the quiet courage of starting again.
