Doorway Sleeper
Feature length documentary
[In development]
LOGLINE
When a haunting photograph of a homeless man sleeping on church steps, titled Doorway Sleeper, resurfaces at his funeral, his daughter Vanessa embarks on a personal journey to reclaim the father she lost at age 9, uncovering his struggles with mental illness and addiction, tracing his fall from family man to life on the streets, and exposing the personal, societal, and systemic failures behind homelessness – turning a symbol of urban anonymity into a call for compassion and change.
Director/Writer: Graeme Mathieson
Producer: Caitie Drewery
Cinematographer: Alice Stephens
For further inquiries, contact Caitie Drewery: caitie@bonfireoriginals.com
teaser:
SYNOPSIS
“He may not have been able to parent me in life, but he can parent me in death. He has taught me an invaluable lesson about being empathetic to unhoused folks and their struggles, because I see my father in the face of every person I walk by on the streets. I see their humanity. My Dad gave me that gift of compassion, and I feel compelled to use his legacy for good, and help others understand the same message”
- Vanessa Raponi, Jan 2025
This documentary follows Vanessa as she embarks on a deeply personal journey of self discovery, unraveling her father’s story, exploring his struggles with mental illness, addiction, and homelessness, and examining the systemic factors that led to his tragic fate.
Through the lens and perspective of Vanessa, in a hybrid POV and cinéma vérité approach, we will follow the journey as she connects with key figures in her fathers life, those who experienced life on the streets alongside him, and conversations with individuals who are leading and making change towards the homelessness crisis. Vanessa will be the conduit helping piece together her father’s tragic decline into homelessness, addiction, and death on the streets. Through her firsthand self discovery as she learns about her father and his fate, her reflections will shine a light on the broader issues of homelessness, seeking solutions to a crisis that claims so many lives.
The intent for this film is to shine a critical light on the forgotten faces and stories of those living on the streets and the systemic challenges, barriers and lack of will to address and eradicate homelessness in our cities. Through first hand account of Vanessa, the personal connection will put a face to the forgotten and nameless that hide in the corners and bodies walked past. Connecting with those vulnerably housed who knew her father, frontline workers and mental health supports from institutions like CAMH, where he spent his last days after having both legs amputated from gangrene, we will start to piece together the puzzle of how a seemingly gregarious family man, business owner and beloved member of his community, fell so far from his comfort to a life of despair.