Homeless

Homeless is a short film released in 2025, directed and written by Rikhiil V Bahadur. Throughout it’s 18 minute runtime, the short follows Roufus (Rocco the Adorabull) as he leaves his current life behind and bonds with Fred (Blakely David), a homeless man he encounters outside of a coffee shop. The heartwarming relationship formed between these two protagonists allows for a deeper, feel good approach towards the content. Exploring such topics is cleverly enhanced through the use of this canine star, shifting focus onto their raw connection rather than dialogue which provides unnecessary exposition as to how the pair feels. Theory of mind between our deuteragonist Fred and those viewers with pets will not come difficultly, as it is very easy to place yourself in his human perspective of the camaraderie.

We begin with an insight into Roufus’ home life, in which he is practically shunned away for simply seeking positive affirmations from his owners, Katie (Sam van Goph) and Linda (Evelyn Tran). This instantly informs the audience that Roufus is a sympathetic and endearing character, rather than an outright disobedient dog. His home life difficulties are shown to lead to some destructive behaviour, however his owners clearly fail to see how this can be traced back to their own argumentative and dismissive behaviour. Upon partnering with Fred as he is left by his disengaged carers, Roufus instantly receives food, water, and friendly remarks - these are all rarities within his own home and is even later repaid by the dog as he find food for him and his new friend to eat. It is very clear that the duo see reflections of themselves within the other, strengthening their bond and helping them both through their trauma together. In the latter half of the short film, this teamwork is demonstrated beautifully as Fred even puts his life on the line during a robbery to ensure our main characters safety (once more, this is later reciprocated as Roufus refuses to leave Fred’s side upon his previous owner’s return). The juxtaposition between his newfound life in contrast to his previous neglect is able to subvert expectations and stereotypes for those with versus without stable housing, displaying how a truly formed attachment will prevail throughout adversity. The story ends peacefully, open-ended as to where Roufus and his mankind counterpart will be taken in the future. Only one thing is for certain: they have each other.

A large portion of the production of the short was largely under the influence of Rikhiil V Bahadur, however other notable figures include co-producer and Shahchi Sharma and cinematographer Dan Barham. The visual style largely takes inspiration from the wondrous city of Vancouver, Canada and the film itself was made possible by the Vancouver Indie Film Community. One specific quote from Bahadur himself tells how the creation of Fred and Roufus were directly encouraged by a homeless man and his “beautiful dog”, alongside a comfy duvet outside the director’s apartment in the very same city. A noticeably warm colour palette mirrors the flourishing affection these two characters form throughout, whilst some scenes depict a harsher grey-ish scale to display brief moments of despair. Choosing to close up toward Roufus’ eyes in various shots, assist in humanising the character and translate his emotions as this is sometimes a simpler guide to gaze upon rather than body language. The acting of this talented pooch cannot be understated, hitting each mark and remaining eloquent throughout some tough to watch scenes as to retain Homeless’ comforting nature. Cleverly placed and quirky sound design also ensures the tone of the film remains light-hearted rather than strictly mean spirited, as that could dampen the overarching message. The short dedicates itself to animals without a permanent home with a written message after the narrative, a smart chronological choice following the engaging hypothetical viewers are met with. The zero budget short movie made a DirecTV network debut on 31st May 2025, followed by international streaming release to Amazon Prime on 1st June 2025.

Overall, the serious message of Homeless is wrapped neatly and delivered carefully under layers of optimism which shine throughout. It is recommended to those who may need to reignite a feeling of deep connection within their own life as it lends out it’s positive nature. A small budget could have assisted in displaying some of the adventures our loving pair engage in following these events, perhaps in a follow up short or extended version of the original. This may have meant minor issues could have been avoided also, such as slight continuity errors and a lack of severity when dealing with Roufus’ abandonment which in turn would reinforce the relief of unity between him and Fred; these hardly hinder the message of the film, however, as it remains impactful within it’s own right. Those behind the scenes and on camera were able to come together and share an important anecdote relating to animal and human welfare alike in the absence of a true home. Even through troubling times, everybody deserves someone to form a deep-rooted and loving connection to, and this short ensures you do not leave unaware of this fact.