enda
Film

American Vagabond

Susanna Helke, Finland, 2013

85 min.Documentary

"American Vagabond" is a cinematic feature documentary about queer youth living without a home in the shadows of a promised city. It¿s a story about a modern western society in which homosexuality is still so demonized in some communities that some parents are ready to abandon their children over it. One out of every four young people who are coming out to their parents is kicked out of the house. 20 to 40 percent of homeless youth are estimated to belong to sexual minorities in the United States. The queer youth abandoned by their own families come to San Francisco and other big cities as if they are coming to a refuge. They think they are coming to their own people but what they find instead is a cold, expensive city. Their people don¿t want these shaggy elves cluttering their neighborhoods. Particularly not now, as they fervently strive to take their place at the table with ¿normal¿ middle-class America. The film is a triptych consisting of three episodes.
Basic information Credits
Original title American Vagabond
Danish title American Vagabond
Keywords Gays, Lesbians, Living conditions, Homeless people, San Francisco, USA, 2010-2019
Director Susanna Helke
Screenplay Susanna Helke
Producer Cilla Werning
Director of Photography Marko Luukkonen, Susanna Helke
Editor Niels Pagh Andersen
Sound Olli Huhtanen
Casting Mary Morgan, Samantha Graff, Kellie Pine
Production country Finland, Denmark
Dialogue language English
DFI subsidy Konsulentstøtte
Danish rating Allowed for all
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Companies

Production company For Real Productions
Co-production Radiator Film ApS
With support from AVEK, Det Danske Filminstitut, Eurimages, Finnish Film Foundation, MEDIA (EU), Nordisk Film & TV Fond
In collaboration with Danmarks Radio, YLE TV1

Direction

Direction Susanna Helke
Assistant director Mary Morgan
Casting Mary Morgan
Casting Samantha Graff
Casting Kellie Pine

Script

Screenplay Susanna Helke

Production

Producer Cilla Werning
Co-producer Henrik Underbjerg
Co-producer Stefan Frost
Production manager Hanna Aartolahti
Production manager: US David Anthony Alvarado
Production manager: US Sarena Kennedy
Production assistant Paula Isaksson
Production assistant: US Cassandra Shaylor
Production assistant: US Ricardo Ramirez
Location scout James Banks
Location scout Anna Acquistapace
Technical advisor Jaakko Rinne

Cinematography

Cinematographer Marko Luukkonen
Cinematographer Susanna Helke
Cinematographer: Additional shoot Emil Bokaer
Camera assistant Ricardo Ramirez

Stills

Still photographer Tyson Dai
Still photographer Ricardo Ramirez
Still photographer Susanna Helke
Still photographer David Anthony Alvarado

Editing

Editor Niels Pagh Andersen
Assistant editor Antti Tuomikoski
Assistant editor Ida Bruun
Assistant editor Nina Forsman
Assistant editor Hannele Majaniemi

Music

Music Samuli Kosminen

Sound

Sound designer Olli Huhtanen
Recording engineer David Anthony Alvarado
Recording engineer Tyson Dai

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