Wasted

Colour, 35 mm
United Kingdom, 2009, 108 min
IP – International premiere
Section: Another View

Synopsis

Connor and Suzanne, who went to school together as kids, meet up again after many years. They both work as prostitutes and live at a squat with many other homeless people and junkies. They start to stick close together in an effort to face the harsh realities of their pitiable fate, and the abuse they suffer from so-called normal and respectable citizens. This highly naturalistic movie, which plays out in primarily one location – an old, ramshackle factory – was shot as an improvisation, with actual homeless people and junkies featured alongside Gary Lewis and newcomers Neil Leiper and Emma Hartley-Miller. The directors, who among other things have cooperated with several social centers, manifest deep knowledge of the life and lifestyle such people find themselves in. They don’t judge them, but just provide us a glimpse of the social fringes that we’d rather not look at.

About the director

Caroline Paterson and Stuart Davids have been working together for 18 years. They founded Glasgow’s Raindog Theatre Company, whose success led to a production company of the same name. They have produced 13 plays, and have shot two short films and three award-winning television series for the BBC. For the theater Caroline Paterson has directed John Osborne’s play The Entertainer, Wasted, Wasted II, and John Byrne’s Still Life. Wasted is their feature debut. They are currently working on their second feature.