City Embers: Film tells stories of Edmonton's homeless youth

Edmonton's homeless youth are telling their stories through film.

City Embers is a dramatic short, created by a small group of Boyle Street Community Services Youth Unit members.

In September 2015, theyoung adults came together to share their experiences living on the streets of Edmonton.

From those conversations the project was born.In the three months that followed,members wrote and produced the project, and began screening it at events across the city.

It was kind of nerve-wracking but exciting to have such a personal part of my life out there.- Vicki Moses

The storyline is weaved fromindividual stories, but Vicki Moses says the film reflects common experiences ofyoung people who have found themselves homeless, addicted or depressed.

"It was kind of nerve-wracking but exciting to have such a personal part of my life out there," said Vicki Moses who acts in the film, and helped collaborate on the script.

Moses plays a homeless teenager struggling to find housing in the film, a story which mimics her own journey with poverty and depression.

Moses had spent sevenmonths living on the streets and local shelters, before filming began. After spending her entire childhood in foster care, Moses struggled to find stable housing. She was just 20 years old when everything fell apart.

"It what a really difficult time for me. The hardest part is the loss of hope," Moses said.

"When you have a steady place to live, and you know you're safe, and you know what you're going to wake up to in the morning, that's hope.

"And when you don't have that, I don't want to say it's misery, but it really does deflect the meaning of life."

The project, funded by the Edmonton Arts Council, was spearheaded by Sebastian Barrera, a High Risk Youth Worker at Boyle Street.

He started working at the downtown resource centre a year ago and wanted to find new ways for the youth to express themselves. They started holding talking circlesand, little by little,the youth started opening up.

"I was trying to make new platforms and new ways to connect the kidsand develop relationships with our staff," saidBarrera.

"The story is based on the kids. They developed the storyline. We developed talking circles, and talked about what this film should look like.

"And we respected completely the kids vision about what this project should look like instead of giving them instruction."

The most difficult part of the project for Barrera; after eighthours of shooting on set, many of the teenagers and youth were returning not to stable homesbut local shelters.

Buttoday most of the participants, including Moses,are off the streets. Barrera says the projecthelped them healand find stability.

"The most amazing thing about this project is the strong relationships the kids developed. They are still friends, they keep in touch, and are still helping each other outside of this film."

"We developed strong relationships and we support each other on personal levels, and this group of people is showing that community can heal. We developed a community through this short film."

A screening of the film will be heldMay 2atMacEwan University City Centre Campus in the CN Conference Theatre (5-142).