This story is ultimately about hope and the importance of giving hope to others.

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I feel very strongly that without a sense of purpose in life it is not possible to have hope, and without hope, we have nothing. As such, the film explores how we gain purpose in our own lives through our connections with other people. As long as we have a purpose, we can endure anything, but when we lose our purpose, we can become lost and lose hope.

 

Alongside hope, a key theme of the story is that of homelessness, a growing problem throughout the UK. When we see Isobel, we wonder why no-one sees her, and why she is alone. After all, we’d help a little girl who wandered the streets, lost and alone, wouldn’t we? But we are less quick to question Benedict, the homeless man. Somehow, he belongs there, and Isobel doesn’t. In this way, the film looks at homelessness and our reaction to it.

 

But it is hope, or the lack of, that guides the actions of all the characters. Jack, an ordinary man determinedly carrying on, clings to it. Despite the loss of his daughter and the problems with his son, he carries on, still bringing coffee to the unappreciative homeless man. For the sake of his family he cannot give up, however tempting that may be. 

 

Benedict has lost all hope. He is alone and without a purpose, drifting from day to day. He must discover a new purpose, and with it, hope, before he can help Isobel.

 

And finally Isobel, who is full of youthful hope. It is her inner hope and sense of purpose which keeps her believing that she can find a solution to her seemingly impossible situation.

 

However, while the exploration of these themes was the fundamental motive for making the film, my challenge was simply to tell a story as well as possible. This is a film that will hopefully remind us that we are all connected, and all need a sense of purpose beyond ourselves.