Parliament's tussle over immigration rights for ex-Gurkhas has recently brought the issue of soldiers' compensation to public consciousness. T he Gurkhas' problem, though, is only one instance of a wider, often much more alarming issue. M any of us assume that people risking their lives to defend their country – often sustaining grievous wounds – are guaranteed a reliable safety net if they fall on hard times later in life. Sadly, this is not always so: a quarter of British ex-soldiers become homeless after discharge. Isolation tells the stories of such men, with problems far more elemental than securing a passport. Our guide in this elegiac, beautifully crafted exposé is Stuart Griffiths. Formerly in the Army – and homeless for a time after returning to civvy street – he's now a family man and renowned professional photographer. Griffiths is an articulate guide, intimately familiar with the experiences of the soldiers he meets. T hey see him as 'one of their own', and since he holds their trust from the outset, he elicits responses of moving candour. The soldiers' words are complemented by David Procter's exquisite lensing. H is evocative landscape imagery glosses the human stories with an atmospheric, scarred beauty. In the interview sequences, filmmakers Seomore and Bull (Lost & Found: Jim Lee, EIFF 2006) eschew conventional talking-head formality, choosing instead a dynamic style that generates conversational intimacy. T he film's elegant crafting gives a poetic backdrop to the quiet dignity and forbearance of men whose lives are in some ways wrecked, but who bravely take what life deals them. Isolation is not specifically pacifist. Its message is more focused: whatever your views on war, we must surely ensure the welfare of people who risk their lives in battle. T o fail in doing so is grotesque, but the problem goes almost unmentioned in Britain's public discourse. T o the film's credit, its political animus emerges naturally from its content. Seomore and Bull – two of Britain's most exciting young documentarists – present a forceful treatment of a seriously neglected problem, in which they avoid preaching and opt instead to allow facts and testimonies to speak for themselves.

Screening with:

Looking Back

• Emile Bokaer /
• USA /
• 2008 /
• 6 mins

The Irwin Goodwin centre for homeless war veterans is a source of comfort for former soldiers, who suffer the double marginalisation from society as recovering addicts. A gentle ode to an invaluable facility, through the eyes of one of its residents, this is a touching testament to the quiet power of photographs and group identity in restoring the self.

Director: Emile Bokaer
Producer: Emile Bokaer
Editor: Emile Bokaer
DoP: Emile Bokaer
Sound Production: Carolina Kondo
Music: Emile Bokaer