Inspiration
October 18th, 2024
I was taking a trip to Chicago in October 2024. One night I was heading back to my hotel with my $40 leftover Chicago pizza. When I was walking down the subway station, I heard a voice saying “pizza…” There was a guy who was missing all 10 fingers and legs sitting on the ground asking me for food. I hesitated to approach him first but I decided to give him 2 slices of the pizza. The guy went straight to eating without saying anything to me.I got back to my room and I realized the pizza did not fit in the fridge. I am not hungry at all. I was looking at the pizza in my hands, and felt a horrible GUILT - why did I do this? Why did I think I would need this pizza while the guy was starving?The taste of the pizza that I ate the next morning was unforgettable.
Homeless Shelter
After the Chicago trip, I decided to spend a week + New Year at a homeless shelter. During the stay, I helped them grocery shopping, cleaned the shelter, delivered food, I did whatever I could do. Day by day, I gained their trust and they started sharing their stories with me.Learning about their life changed my perspective violently. I could not see the world as I used too see it anymore. Hearing what they went through face to face, was a whole different experience.This was supposed to be just a week's stay to learn about homelessness. Now I volunteer at 2 homeless organizations. The experience changed the GUILT that I had in Chicago to COMPASSION.
Needs for Love
Loneliness and isolation are very common for people experiencing homelessness. One homeless person at the shelter told me that he experienced extreme loneliness when he was asking for money at a stoplight. I asked several homeless people if there was anything they were excited about, and they all said things related to human connection, such as seeing their children, family, or partners.Homeless people can receive resources such as shelter, food, and medical assistance. But one thing they cannot ask for: to be loved. Love is something we need so much, yet they struggle to receive love from people.
WORLD building
RATS is a movement rather than a short film. Starting from the guilt that I had in Chicago, RATS will be an opportunity for people to think of others. By constructing an original fictional world which reflects our reality, RATS takes a creative and entertaining way to bring compassion to people’s minds, and eventually the compassion brings a good cause to our community.
Story
Power of love through the eyes of a homeless person
A homeless man named Rat, dressed in tattered business clothes, makes a living selling flowers, clinging to small moments of human connection. Among the indifferent crowd, a curious kid, neglected by his working class parents, finds solace in Rat’s presence. As their bond deepens, they become like brothers. One night, when Rat witnesses a father hitting the kid, he raged against the father with everything he has.
Why it's called RATS?
When I pitch this movie, lots of people ask me about the tile “RATS”. Here is why I named this story RATS. The animals rats are considered dirty and full of diseases, usually hated by a lot of people. I found this judgmental view on rats is similar to how public perceives homeless people. The title is a reflection of that reality, and our mission is to change this through film.
The Team