Alumna directs film on her own family’s experience of homelessness

01 Dec 2015

Special screening with question and answer session on Thursday, 3 December

Former English and Drama student, Daisy-May Hudson has directed a feature-length documentary ‘Half Way’, which focuses on her and her family’s experience of being made homeless and living in a hostel.

Daisy-May, who studied in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, will be returning to the University on Thursday, 3 December to screen the film and to take part in a Q&A with the film’s producers, three other Humanities alumni.

The film recently had its premiere at the Stratford Picture House in London and is part of the official selection for the 2015 Homeless Film Festival.

In 2013, Daisy-May, her mum and sister became homeless when they were evicted by their landlord, a multi-national supermarket, who decided to sell their home of 13 years. Unable to afford alternative local accommodation, they declared themselves homeless to the council. The family ended up living in hostel accommodation with no internet access making the writing of Daisy-May’s dissertation incredibly difficult. She decided to document the experience to highlight the growing homeless crisis.  

As her Mum says in the film, “I work. I work hard and I provide. And here we are.”

As well as Daisy May, three graduates of the Faculty’s Drama degree, Thea Paulett, Claire O’Neill and Alice Hughes worked on the film as producers, putting their education into action.

The four of them will attend the screening of the film in the John Casken Lecture Theatre on Thursday, 3 December at 6pm. Staff and students welcome.