Documentary Film | Picturing Home

After twenty years of homelessness, one woman finds empowerment BY sharing her journey through the lens of a camera.

Picturing Home is a 50-minute documentary film that follows the life changing journey of Jai Jaru, born in Thailand and adopted by a family from Adelaide. Jai escapes to Sydney, but instead ends up homeless on and off for twenty years. One day, Jai is given a disposable camera, which ends up changing her life.

Directed by Annette Cohen, written by Marcus Gillezeau, ‘Picturing Home’ was filmed over three years in inner Sydney.

With a community photo competition as the backdrop, the film explores the difficult journey of the homeless through our guide Jai. We learn how she got to where she is, the struggle to fit in to society and how she sees the world through her camera lens. The story culminates in Jai's first solo photography exhibition.

This is a story of the importance of home, of human frailty, and ultimately finding connection and hope