Touching Film from Homelessness Charity Centrepoint Sees Life Get Back on Track

Ross’s latest work is for the youth homelessness charity Centrepoint. Working with creative agency Arthur, Centrepoint commissioned Bolidai to direct the 60 second film titled ‘The Runner’. 

The harrowing story follows a young girl who desires to be a runner, but due to family conflicts finds herself homeless. Ross’s direction captures the endless sense of despair that comes without having a roof over your head, the spiralling sense of no direction and no hope. However she is able to get her life back on track thanks to Centrepoint, making it possible for her to continue to pursue her ambitions of becoming a runner. 

According to Centrepoint’s latest Youth Homelessness Databank, almost 122,000 young people faced homelessness last year across the UK. Legacy fundraising enables Centrepoint to continue offering life-changing support for young people facing homelessness. 

Ross experienced homelessness so the project was very close to his heart. 

Ross Bolidai: “As someone with lived experience of sofa surfing and rough sleeping in my formative years, I felt instantly connected to the creative brief for this ad. I knew that this needed to be approached in a way that depicts the hardship and struggle of homelessness, but also encourages audiences to understand that homeless young people shouldn’t be defined by their experiences. I wanted to bring a sense of realism to the piece, without relying on passive stereotypes of homeless people.” 

Julie Milnes, director of fundraising at Centrepoint, added: “Ross’ lived experience really stood out to us when we were searching for a director. He was able to connect with and bring the story to life in a way that really captures the difficult decisions and experiences many of the young people we support go through. This makes a huge difference when appealing to audiences who may be considering leaving a gift in their will. 

“We know that legacy giving has risen significantly over the last few decades, with donations expected to reach record levels over the next year. During this time, the legacy team have worked hard to challenge how we connect to our legacy audiences. This latest campaign is a testament to their creativity and ambition to grow this stream of fundraising, at a time when Centrepoint’s support is needed more than ever.”