By Valerie Milano
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 8/8/23 – Become submerged in provocative reality as viewers follow character Mina through the streets of Los Angeles as she navigates through homelessness, mental illness, and the nuances that come with being a woman searching for autonomous stability; My Home Unknown beautifully initiates conversations around the plight of homelessness and the generic, societal offers of ‘help.’
Multi hyphenate director Yaz Canli illustrates the rawness of housing insecurity and the ways in which it has an impact on mental health and the overall well-being of leading protagonist, Mina. Much like Mina, through the struggle of these various impacts, loved ones of marginalized unhoused communities may be compelled to help in a manner that is not always accepted by a homeless individual; this thematic device is showcased beautifully in My Home Unknown.
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Canli expounds, “It’s such a tricky conversation, ‘help’, especially when it comes to people being viewed as being in need of help because it’s such a judgment already to say, ‘I need to help this person.’ I know a lot of times it comes from very good-hearted will and desire to help, but it’s also not always our place and it has to be received by the person. In the film, Mina has a lot of different people come and offer some sort of help or some sort of ease, but the story is one of the courage it takes to accept help. It’s a very complex conversation that I have tried to integrate into this story. A lot of times society doesn’t know how to help; sometimes help can be holding space for someone or looking someone in the eye and asking ‘how are you doing?’ The concept of help cannot be a one-size-fits-all kind of method; help looks different for each person.”
The concept of help as it relates to homeless individuals is one full of nuance and paradox. As viewers notice how Mina navigates her own life as it relates to help, consider the lens that is used when offering support to this marginalized community. Is help being offered free of conditions, or does the help provided have to have a certain structure before it becomes palatable for society? As the film makes its rounds through the film festival circuits, please consider these questions and stay updated with the film by following their Instagram @myhomeunknown for screening opportunities!
