Songs from the Street

Orig. title: Uteliggernes sang
Genre: Single documentary
Duration: 50 min
Screening format: Digi Beta / DVD
Release: March 2010
Director: Mali Finborud Nøren
Producer: Hilde Skofteland

“Songs from the Street” follows three people who make their daily living by selling the magazine =Oslo (a magazine created to give drug addicts an alternative income which might reduce their need to steal, beg or prostitute to get money). They need about 0,5-1,5 grams of heroin per day, and live a rough life on the street. The film the focuses on the fact that, that these three are skilled artists. They have recently been given the opportunity to make a record, and this project brings new meaning into their lives.

With this warm, open and positive documentary film, we wish to open the eyes of the viewers and show them that addicts living on the street are humans, too. And just like us, they have hopes and dreams of what is to become of their lives. They are individuals, and as a group they are just as differentiated as the rest of the society. But the contrasts in their lives might be more dramatic and obvious than for most of us. They belong to a group who are often stigmatized. They are people that most of us don’t want to know of, and we hurry by them on the street.

We want to give them a face, and show the viewers a new and maybe unexpected look into these individuals and the lives they lead.

By following the people of the streets in their everyday struggle, we get an insight to how much effort it takes just to make it from day to day. The contrast is dramatic, when they can finally leave all their worries behind, and concentrate on what they love; music and poetry.

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