Analysis: "Steel Homes"

Steel Homes is an experimental short documentary, directed by Eva Weber and released in 2008. Just short of ten minutes in length, the film is set in a storage block and explores the relationships humans have with their possessions. It is claimed early on that there are "all these stories are behind the doors", and I feel this line accurately represents the content of the film, which takes a subtle yet informative peek into the lives of those who cannot let go of their possessions; their "souls".

A still from Weber's Steel Homes showing a woman in the facility

The cinematography of the film can be said to reflect its theme. The film feels almost intrusive in nature; shots are taken seemingly from around corners or from down a long corridor, seemingly quite a distance from their subject - often from a low angle. This creates a feeling of stealth; as though the audience themselves are creeping through the storage unit and watching its clientele go about their intriguing business. The shots of the facility itself often reflect its monotony, with large focus on the endless silver corridors and their uncomfortable symmetry and similarity. This possibly has the effect of making the storage unit seem all the more strange and alien to audience unfamiliar with such facilities. This is supported by the focus on the operation of technical equipment such as elevators and stairwells, which may seem daunting and confusing.

The film is quite effective at presenting the audience with the opportunity to sympathise with the people in the film. Conventionally, this could be achieved through interview situations which make the relationship between the audience and the subjects seem more personal. However, Steel Homes steers clear of this technique. Instead, only the voices of the film's subjects are heard, recounting their stories as we see them examining their possessions onscreen; a "seated interview" is never shown. This helps to make the subjects seem more strange, as it breaks the personalisation between them and the audience. As they tell their stories, it seems like segments of information have been withdrawn by the filmmakers, and this too enhances the mystique of the storage users and potentially increases the audience's curiosity. As more is revealed about their tales of grievance, homelessness and nostalgia, it can be assumed that the audience take a less judgemental approach to the clientele of the storage unit; whilst they may have initially thought them to be strange or abnormal, the intent of the film is arguably to challenge that impression and evoke empathy. 

In conclusion, I feel that the film is very interesting to watch, as it taps into the audience's instinctive curiosity. Whilst it ran the risk of feeling as though the clientele of the storage unit were been taken advantage, I feel that the film handles the subject matter tastefully; creating a visually beautiful film that has a potentially positive effect on the preconceptions of the audience.