ABOUT

Care About Us is a feature-length documentary initially conceived by Dan Balcaban. It has since been supported by charities, people sleeping rough and also people living in shelters since its conception.

What started as a one-man show, has quickly turned into a full-scale international production team as more and more people have come on board to volunteer their time and contribute their talents.

Care About Us has been successfully filmed in the following locations:

 

 

• Australia (Sydney)

• Hong Kong

• South Africa (Cape Town)

• Egypt (Cairo)

• The UK & around Europe (Prague, Berlin, Stockholm, Barcelona & London)

• Canada & America (Vancouver, Los Angeles & New York)

 

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DEFINING HOMELESSNESS – the controversy

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Homelessness is a global problem and one that is seemingly impossible to tackle, as there are so many factors that lead to people becoming homeless.
While no definite data exists to account for every homeless person in the world, the most recent global headcount by the United Nations (2005) came in at over 100 million living on the streets. That’s four and a half times the population of Australia.

The term ‘homeless’ is generally used to describe those ‘sleeping rough’ on the
streets, but the term also includes anyone without an adequate, safe place to call
home. The homeless can live in share houses, caravans, and refuges. The causes of
homeless are broad, to say the least with drug addiction, alcohol abuse,
unemployment, internal immigration or domestic violence just some examples of why
individuals find themselves without the comforts of a home. Despite common opinion, homelessness is not a choice. The purpose of this campaign is to share the personal stories of homeless people from all the corners of the world, how they got there and their hopes for the future. We aim to raise awareness and explore new solutions to the poor living conditions that many in our world continue to face every day.

Dan Balcaban shares his story:

“This project is something I have wanted to do for a while. In fact, the idea came to me when I was lying in a hospital bed a few years ago after a near-death motorbike accident. I realized then that although I had nearly lost my life, there were others that were worse off than me, even at that moment. Other factors also led to the creation of the film, such as my mother getting food stamps and second-hand clothes when we were kids. This was due to our financial situation at the time. I also ran away from home when I was younger. Although it was for a short time, I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone ”