LIVING IN MY CAR
When a sudden twist of fate leaves Jon without a home, he’s forced to live in his car, caught in the ripple effects of a rent boom and the UK’s worsening cost-of-living crisis.
Like many, Jon finds himself between jobs and unable to keep up with rising rents, suddenly locked out of the housing market in the city where he was born. During this difficult chapter, as he fights to regain stability, his car becomes both refuge and reminder of how quickly security can unravel. Family estrangement and self-isolation deepen the struggle, painting a portrait of resilience in the face of systemic hardship.
This award-winning short documentary, recipient of Best Documentary Short Film at the Docuworld Film Festival, Best Documentary at the Stratford-upon-Avon Film Festival, and an official selection at the 2025 Brighton Rocks Film Festival, offers an intimate snapshot of one person’s experience of housing instability, echoing the reality faced by countless others across the UK today.
-
Oisin ByrneDirector
-
Ellie IdesonProducer
-
Project Type:Documentary, Short
-
Runtime:17 minutes 30 seconds
-
Country of Origin:United Kingdom
-
Country of Filming:United Kingdom
-
Language:English
-
Shooting Format:Digital, Full Frame, 4K cine
-
Film Color:Color
-
First-time Filmmaker:No
-
Student Project:No
-
Digital Cinema Package:Unavailable
-
Brighton Rocks Film Festival 2025.Brighton.
United Kingdom
June 26, 2025
Official Selection. -
UK Film FestivalLondon
United Kingdom
November 19, 2025 -
Stratford Upon Avon Film Festival 2025.Stratford Upon Avon
United Kingdom
August 16, 2025
Best Documentary -
Docuworld Film Festival 2025.London
United Kingdom
October 3, 2025
Best Documentary Short Film. -
Folkstone Film Festival 2025.Folkstone
United Kingdom
November 3, 2025
Honorable Mention -
Envisage Film Festival 2026.Birmingham
January 11, 2026
Oisín Byrne is an award-winning director, writer, and producer of British and Irish heritage. He earned a BA in Filmmaking & Creative Media from the University of the West of England in 2015, followed by a Master’s in Film Directing from Goldsmiths, University of London, in 2017.
Born in St. Pauls, Bristol, to a second-generation Irish family, Byrne later grew up in The Dings, a working-class estate where his creative interests took shape. His father, an Irish painter and folk singer, and his mother, a Bristol-born primary school teacher, instilled in him a deep appreciation for music and storytelling from an early age.
Byrne’s passion for filmmaking emerged through his love of music, character, emotion, and imagery. While his primary focus is writing and directing, he is also experienced in producing, screenwriting, cinematography, and editing, bringing a versatile approach to his work.
Documentary and drama have always been my favourite genres, so when the opportunity arose to follow Jon’s story, I grabbed it with both hands. It was a chance to explore a pressing issue: the financial difficulties many face in an inflation-driven world.
The production involved an intense period of filming interviews, observational footage, cutaways, and nighttime shoots. As the process unfolded, I gained a deeper understanding of Jon’s struggle and the broader forces shaping it. While the film highlights the impact of rising rents, unemployment, and the cost-of-living crisis, it also touches on themes of family relationships.
I carefully planned much of the shoot but also embraced the spontaneity of filming on location, capturing moments across Bristol and Gloucester as events unfolded in real time. Amid the many challenges Jon faced, his perseverance and hope for the future stood out and left a lasting impression on me.
Making this film opened my eyes to the wide range of people affected by today’s socioeconomic climate. It deepened my empathy for those struggling in silence and for those who fall through the cracks.
