#SheReviews Film: Under Cover

What is home?

HOME is: Identity – A holder of our memories and helps shape who we are. Imagine your life without a home – can you do that? 

The hidden faces of homelessness.

At its core, homelessness is about absence and loss. It could have been me, or you or someone we know. Watching the Under Cover preview was a reality check as it shined a light on a devastating crisis, homelessness. 

There are hundreds of thousands of homeless people in Australia, the majority are women, and the over-fifties are the fastest growing demographic of homelessness in our developed world. Some 240,000 women over 55 are at risk of homelessness in Australia. They live in their cars, on a friend’s couch or live in short-term accommodation.

It was understandable why writer, director and producer, Sue Thomson became committed and passionate about this human rights and equality issue. Sue was inspired by the homeless crisis for women from an article she read in a newspaper in 2018. She was shocked to find that despite being over 50 and working nonstop, like herself these women paralleled her own as they had very little superannuation and accumulated debt. 

Narrated by Marot Robbie, the film took over two years to produce. They followed the stories of ten women from diverse backgrounds, wealthy, poor, middle class, working, unemployed, migrant and indigenous. 

Linda, Sarah-Jane, Clare, Cheryl, Suzelle, Nada, Susan, Margaret, Mary and Rama are just a small sample. Most had lived in nice homes and worked good jobs living ordinary lives until unforeseen circumstances turned their lives around. They found themselves too old to be employed, were struck down by illness, and were dealing with difficult break-ups, divorces and domestic violence, one even a former advertising executive.

 Until now, all have suffered in silence as they dealt with the aftermath that came with it. With all this they then had to deal with the strain of a global pandemic, many keeping their dire circumstances hidden from friends and family. It is such a sad story to hear these proud women speak from the heart.  

Stories of women living homeless

A beautiful home, a well-spoken narrator of her own story, and a partner who reassured her that everything is under control. Does this make you nervous, it does me. Many of us have at some point in our lives trusted our partners, and believed them, even when that nagging voice inside our head hints otherwise. Then one day he came home and said to her, we don’t have any money left. The removalists came in and took everything. She had never considered that she could ever be homeless, yet here she was. That great Australian dream eroded like an eraser rubbed across a pencilled page.   

Another homeless woman never imagined this would happen to her. If she hadn’t purchased her van earlier she would have had nothing. She lives out of her van and uses her awning to capture fresh water when it rains. She doesn’t have access to her own shower or bathroom. Unless you are on holiday it is not the easiest environment to live in, she said. She ended up feeling hidden, invisible even to some of her friends who couldn’t face her because they didn’t want to look at her and be a mirror, facing the frightening situation that it could be then.

Born in 1974, now famed Wirlomin Noongar author Claire G Coleman was homeless for over 10 years and ended up writing her debut novel Terra Nullius in 2017. The title translates to a land belonging to no one. A moving insight into her experience of being homeless. Claire won the Norma K Hemming Award which I was surprised to discover, is a science fiction award.  

Claire’s conversation is refreshingly raw and true. She said society often viewed homelessness as their fault and looked down on. But it is not so simple and doesn’t always work this way. For Claire all it took was one broken relationship to be sacked on the same day and, 2 weeks later couldn’t pay the rent. Consequently, Claire lost her house. 

Three of the five most stressful things that happen in life all happened at once Claire said. She stayed with friends for a while but one by one they asked her to move on. She didn’t think she could end up homeless either but did for over 10 years.  People think you have done something wrong or didn’t work hard, or think you are on drugs or something. She once lived out of her van then it broke down and could not afford to have it fixed so ended up living on the streets. 

The women featured in Under Cover are from all parts of Australia and have complex and compelling true stories. Yet no matter how bad their life became, they all shared a resolute determination. Speaking, with a twist of dry humour, they showed eternal optimism and the belief there was hope for them yet. They lay bare the flaws in our society as well as our economic fragility in the modern world.  Homeless just means I just don’t have a home and could happen to anyone.

All women need to see this movie and all people should. 

Cast and Crew

Realife cast: Linda Thomson, Sarah-Jane McGrath, Claire G Coleman, Cheryl Itzstein, Suzelle Collins, Nada Loiterton, Susan Mathewson, Margaret Connolly, Mary Hammond and Rama Thota

With: Sally Capp, Annabelle Daniel, Fiona Patten, Rob Pradolin

Writer, Director: Sue Thomson

Producer: Adam Farrington-Williams and Sue Thomson

Impact producer: Diana Fisk

Editor: Uri Mizrahi 

Narrated by: Margo Robbie

IN SELECT CINEMAS NATIONALLY 6 OCTOBER

Incorporating World Homeless Day on 10 October

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