| The Oasis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Ian Darling, Sascha Ettinger Epstein |
| Produced by | Ian Darling |
Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
The Oasis is a 2008 Australian documentary produced by Shark Island Productions and directed by Ian Darling and Sascha Ettinger Epstein. The film explores the lives of homeless youth living in the Salvos Oasis youth refuge in Sydney. A 'ten years later' film was published in 2019 - Life After The Oasis .
Every night, Oasis accommodates 55 homeless and disadvantaged youths. [1] Filmed over two years at The Oasis Youth Support Network [2] refuge run by the Salvation Army in Surry Hills, Australia, the documentary follows Captain Paul Moulds, Robbin Moulds and the daily lives of both the young people and the Salvation Army staff who care for them and work with them to try to make a difference in their lives. The film takes an unflinching look at the difficulties and triumphs that happen each day and night. Many of these young people have ongoing problems with drug abuse; violent and abusive behaviour and resistant to attempts to help. But whatever is happening in their lives, Paul and Robbin Moulds are there to work with them to assist in turning their lives around.
The issue of youth homelessness in Australia gained national media attention in Youth Week 2008 via the release of the National Youth Commission's "Australia's Homeless Youth" report on 8 April and ABC1's premiere of "The Oasis" documentary on youth homelessness on 10 April, followed by a panel discussed hosted by Tony Jones. [3] [4] This report influenced the Australian Governments Green Paper Which Way Home? and the White Paper, which set out the Government's national plan of action. [5]
Documentary filmmaking as a tool for social change is relatively new to Australia – with philanthropic foundations traditionally reluctant to fund in this area. [6] The Oasis demonstrated the latent power of documentary film to deliver a high return on social capital. [7] More than two years after the initial screening and live panel discussion on ABC Television in April 2008, supported by a comprehensive education and outreach campaign, the documentary has helped ensure that youth homelessness remains on the national agenda. [8] [9]
The partnership with ABC Television was teamed with two major initiatives funded by The Caledonia Foundation: [10] 1) the National Youth Commission (NYC) Report on Youth Homelessness; [11] and 2) a comprehensive education and outreach campaign. The NYC Report [11] was the result of an independent, national inquiry which informed the range of evidence-based recommendations. In 2007, the NYC held 21 days of hearings in all states and territories. Formal evidence was given by 319 individuals and 91 written submissions were received, including seven from government departments. The NYC report [11] launched by Tanya Plibersek at Oasis in 2008 provided context and credibility to images presented by the documentary, it showed that the experience of The Oasis youth was representative of a greater problem, not an isolated case.
The education and outreach campaign based on The Oasis documentary was designed to combine grassroots support for vulnerable young people, with the possibility of effecting long-lasting social change. [12] In 2008, all Australian secondary schools and philanthropic foundations were provided with The Oasis DVD, comprehensive Study Guide [13] and a copy of the NYC Report. [11] The Study Guide [13] was updated in 2010 and is linked to the curriculum of every state and territory.
In 2010, The Caledonia Foundation [10] launched the second phase of its Oasis initiative, with two short films Polly & Me and Wall Boy. The second phase had a specific focus to engage philanthropic and community partners, attempt to raise awareness and encourage early intervention into the issues around child abuse and neglect. [14]
"Robbin and I have been overwhelmed and enormously humbled by the reaction to the documentary. So many people have stopped us on the street, emailed us, rang us, messaged us, wrote to us and encouraged us…Even locals who misunderstood and opposed us have told us they now know what we are trying to achieve and do. Every Salvation Army centre across Australia is reporting increased giving from the public. I sense we have changed the nation. [15] "
Captain Paul Moulds, Director, The Oasis Youth Support Network. [2]
Philanthropy Australia [16] established an inaugural Homelessness Affinity Group in Melbourne and Sydney in 2009. [17] The groups aim to share knowledge and build collaborative funding arrangements for projects that address homelessness.
In 2011 The Oasis Homeless Short Film Competition was launched by patron Cate Blanchett and Peter Garrett, [18] encouraging youth to make a three-minute film about any aspect of homelessness. [19] [20]
The Oasis Initiative was listed as one of Top 50 Philanthropic Gifts of All Time by Pro Bono Australia in 2013. [21]
[ citation needed ]
The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organization headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organization reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7 million, consisting of soldiers, officers, and adherents who are collectively known as salvationists. Its founders sought to bring salvation to the poor, destitute, and hungry by meeting both their "physical and spiritual needs". It is present in 133 countries, running charity shops, operating shelters for the homeless, and disaster relief and humanitarian aid to developing countries.
Catherine Élise Blanchett is an Australian-American actor and film producer. Often regarded as one of the best performers of her generation, she is recognised for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters and the stage. Blanchett has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award.
Street children are poor or homeless children who live on the streets of a city, town, or village. Homeless youth are often called street kids, or urchins; the definition of street children is contested, but many practitioners and policymakers use UNICEF's concept of boys and girls, aged under 18 years, for whom "the street" has become home and/or their source of livelihood, and who are inadequately protected or supervised. Street girls are sometimes called gamines, a term that is also used for Colombian street children of either sex.
Mission Australia is a national Christian charity that provides a range of community services throughout Australia. It has its roots in the Brisbane sector of The British and Foreign Bible Society’s sub-committee, The Colporteur Society (1869), and Sydney City Mission (1862), but was only officially established in 1996, bringing together a number of city missions across the country. The organisation specialises in the areas of homelessness and housing, families and children, early learning, youth, employment and skills, substance abuse, disability, mental health, and strengthening communities. Sharon Callister has been CEO since March 2022.
Volunteers of America (VOA) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1896 that provides affordable housing and other assistance services primarily to low-income people throughout the United States. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, the organization includes 32 affiliates and serves approximately 1.5 million people each year in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
I'm Not There is a 2007 musical drama film directed by Todd Haynes, and co-written by Haynes and Oren Moverman. An experimental biographical film, it is inspired by the life and music of American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, with six actors depicting different facets of Dylan's public personas: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Ben Whishaw. A caption at the start of the film declares it to be "inspired by the music and the many lives of Bob Dylan"; this is the only mention of Dylan in the film apart from song credits, and his only appearance in it is concert footage from 1966 shown during the film's final moments.
Homelessness in Australia is a social issue concerning the number of people in Australia that are considered to be homeless. There are no internationally agreed upon definitions of homelessness, making it difficult to compare levels of homelessness across countries. A majority of people experiencing homelessness long-term in Australia are found in the large cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. It is estimated that on any given night approximately 116,000 people will be homeless and many more are living in insecure housing, "one step away from being homeless". A person who does not obtain any shelter is often described as sleeping 'rough'.
Edet Belzberg is a documentary filmmaker. She won a 2005 MacArthur Fellowship.
The Woodstock Film Festival is an American film festival launched in 2000 by filmmakers Meira Blaustein and Laurent Rejto in the Hudson Valley region of New York. The festival takes place each fall in the towns of Woodstock, Rosendale and Saugerties and the city of Kingston.
Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. The general category includes disparate situations, such as living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation such as family or friends, living in boarding houses with no security of tenure, and people who leave their domiciles because of civil conflict and are refugees within their country.
Shine Global Inc, is a non-profit media company that was founded in 2005 by Susan MacLaury, and Albie Hecht. Susan MacLaury is the Executive Director of Shine Global. Shine Global has produced projects including War/Dance, a 2008 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary and Inocente, the Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary Short Subject in 2013.
"Takin' It to the Streets" is a song by American rock band the Doobie Brothers from the album of the same name. It was their first single with Michael McDonald on vocals and was written by McDonald. The song peaked at number 13 in the US and number 7 in Canada.
Launch Housing is a secular Melbourne-based community organisation that delivers homelessness services and housing supports to disadvantaged Victorians.
Shark Island Productions is a documentary film production company based in Sydney, Australia, creates extensive education, outreach and community engagement campaigns with its films. It is the production arm of Shark Island Institute.
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Life After The Oasis is a 2019 Australian documentary film produced by Shark Island Productions and directed by Sascha Ettinger Epstein.
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