Meet The 25-year old Filmmaker Making Waves With His Directorial Debut, Deleted

After a huge success premiering at a number of UK film festivals including The BFI, Triforce and Edinburgh,
and receiving nominations at the British Independent and British Documentary Film Festival, Deleted went
on to win Jozi international, Southport, Sunderland and Winchester. The short film was seen at International
screenings across the US, South Africa and at BAFTA.

Deleted, directed by 26yo Stephan Pierre Mitchell documents the last five hours of Ahmed Sadiqqi Hussein before he
is evicted from his home in North-West London and provides an insightful perspective into the life of the many
homeless people in the UK.

The 20minute documentary follows the life of Hussein as he lived on the streets of London. The 59-Year-old, said to
have contracted cancer and pneumonia whilst homeless, had been living on the streets for over a year while the film
was shot, before he tragically passed away last year.

The documentary points to a failing bureaucratic governmental system being the reason for the mass number of
evictions and homelessness experienced in the United Kingdom annually. According to the Office for National
Statistics; there were an estimated 726 deaths of homeless people in England and Wales registered in 2018, the
highest year-to-year increase (22%). “An ever-more bureaucratic and computerised system is making it harder for
British people to access the information and support that they need in order to keep a roof over their head,” says
Mitchell.

The film addresses the homeless situation in a sensitive yet constructive way. As an audience member you find
yourself continually warming up to Ahmed as you begin to understand his story and sympathise with his situation.
The cinematic imagery captured by the Director of Photography, Aaran Green helps to embody specific elements of
Ahmed’s personality and hidden suffering. It is achieved in an intelligent form that is neither forceful nor
condescending to the audience or Ahmed himself. Unconventional shots in the film capture elements of Ahmed that
perhaps would otherwise be lost. Extreme closeups and unusual imagery provide a vivid insight into the life of Ahmed
and what he experiences everyday while on the street. You enter into his mind with far greater certainty than what
would be expected from the standard confessional interview.

Supporting the imagery is the subtle and lush-sounding original music score by composer Mathew Slater (ITV’s
Endeavour) at Abbey Road Studios. Though simple in its orchestration, Slater’s music powerfully adds to the
uncovering of this story. In a similar fashion, the music gently adds to the unfolding and understanding of the
emotions of Ahmed rather than ‘pulling at the heartstrings’ as it were. Stunningly executed and perfectly placed, the
music is an even more lucid guide through Ahmed’s world. As Ahmed opens up about specific elements in his story
that are seldom expected or unthought of, the music continually finds a way to reflect the themes and emotions
on-screen throughout.

“Late payments by the Department for Work and Pensions causes over 92,000 claimants each year” and the situation
is not improving. As the film reiterates, it is not just Ahmed who has suffered. His story represents one of the many
thousands that still exist across the country.

Stephan Pierre Mitchell continues working to promote Ahmed’s story, enabling a voice to the many voiceless that
there are in the United Kingdom.