Lost in the City

LOGLINE

Eric Telton is a drunken but resourceful homeless man who lives under a railway bridge in Berlin with his faithful companion, Jimmy, a wooden mannequin with whom he engages in deep conversations about the meaning of life.

DIRECTOR STATEMENT

Writing "Lost in the City" was a voluntary experience of demonic possession. Alex (the lead actor) and I created a character that had many negative traits that I don’t personally find attractive in a human being. My challenge as a writer (and director) was to let Eric Telton overtake me, pretty much like a method actor surrenders their own identity to the character they’re playing. I imagined Eric, I learned everything I could about him, and then I started to communicate with him... and ended up loving him - just because at the end of the day he, like every single one of us, is just trying to improve his life and feel connected to people. He knows that the system is rotten and that all life is imbued with dignity. However, his humanity is covered in dirt, rags, and a shady past. When Eric sees something, he either wants to eat it, fuck it or fight it. He is always in survival mode, and his ruthless wits are what makes him strong on the mean streets of Berlin. However, there is so much we don’t know about him. Of course, the burning question here is: how did he end up like this? Homelessness is not a condition - homelessness is a story, and Eric’s story unfolds between humour and darkness over the course of the film.