These days we’re bombarded with stories. They come from places you’d expect, and many you wouldn’t.
(Fun fact: in 2011 almost nobody on LinkedIn described themselves as a storyteller. By 2017, around half a million people did).
But more doesn’t mean better, and in the midst of this narrative strafing, it’s so precious to come across stories that surprise us.
When we made WeTransfer’s editorial platform WePresent, we built it around the idea of “unexpected stories about creativity.”
I still like that as an ambition – let’s tell stories that wrong-foot people.
Not with a big dramatic twist (although done well that’s still exhilarating), but with a point of view that confounds your immediate expectations.
Zöe McIntosh’s Living Like Kings (2014) exemplifies this approach. It’s a film about homelessness, but not the sort of film you think. It’s a story about a city reeling after a natural disaster, but not the one you’re imagining.
Instead, it’s a short, exuberant portrait of a group of homeless men living in luxurious houses and hotels abandoned after the earthquake that rocked Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2011.
Most short documentaries provoke questions, but Zoe’s film is more interesting because it wears this ambition lightly. Bigger ideas are definitely here, but she’s confident enough to let them hover in the background.
I interviewed Zöe over email. You can see more of her work on her website and her Instagram.
Why did you want to tell this story?
At the time, all the news was so sad and devastating about the earthquake. I wondered whether there was any good that came from such destruction.
Then I heard the homeless were living like kings. I loved the idea that the tables had turned for them overnight. It felt hopeful, positive and fun.
I also love telling stories about people living on the fringes, because they often have a fresh perspective and don't follow conventions.
What was the biggest challenge?
The risk. Myself and the cameraman were following the men into these abandoned buildings that had been deemed unsafe by the authorities. There was broken glass everywhere and walls were caved in.
At one point I thought, what the hell am I doing? We were so deep in one of the abandoned hotels and I thought we could be attacked. In hindsight it was a bit stupid.
What would you do differently if you made the film again today?
I think I would shoot it on a nicer camera. The images are ok, but they potentially could've been more cinematic. But we only had a low budget camera at the time.
What are you most proud of?
Just getting out there and making it. There are so many challenges making films, that you can easily talk yourself out of doing them.
I love how myself and Clint Rarm just picked up a camera and followed where the characters took us.
And I am proud of my mate Clint. He’s an exceptional human who seems to make anyone comfortable in front of the camera. He's also really fun to work with, which is essential when you're not getting paid the big bucks!
How did this film change you?
It has forever influenced me. It's a reminder that things can change dramatically overnight, and to never take what you have for granted. Appreciate what you have in life.
I really love Zöe calling out how fun Clint was to work with. All the colleagues I remember most fondly have been fun and brilliant – people who take the work seriously, but not themselves.
Thanks to Zöe and, as ever, to you for reading. As I said at the top of this email, we’re bombarded with stories these days, and I hope the ones I share find that sweet spot where quality wins over quantity.