Harris Dickinson, known for his compelling performances since 2017’s indie film Beach Rats, has taken a bold step as the writer and director of Urchin, which premiered in May at the Cannes Film Festival. The London-born actor, recognized for roles in acclaimed films like The Iron Claw and Triangle of Sadness, shifts focus from acting to a deeply personal and gritty narrative that explores life on the margins of London’s streets. Urchin showcases Dickinson not as the lead, but as Nathan, a complex secondary character, while Frank Dillane stars as Mike, a young man trapped in poverty and desperation.
A Personal Story Rooted in London’s Harsh Realities
Urchin is more than a directorial debut; it is a project Dickinson has nurtured for over five years, drawing heavily on his upbringing in East London‘s Highams Park suburb and the people he encountered.
“I’d noticed cyclical behavior in people around me growing up,”
Dickinson said.
“I wanted to tell a story about someone going through something precarious in London, in a system that is tricky to navigate, and in a world we don’t always get insights into. It’s always been an issue that’s close to my heart,”
he added.
The film delves into the challenges faced by those living on the street, highlighting the systemic failures that perpetuate cycles of poverty and incarceration. Nathan, Dickinson’s character, appears disheveled with a broken nose and a shady demeanor as he interacts with passersby asking for money, setting off a chain of events that culminates in Mike’s imprisonment. Despite Dickinson’s rising stardom, his screen time is limited, emphasizing the collective story over individual celebrity.
Immersive Preparation and Authentic Casting to Capture Reality
To ground Urchin in authenticity, Dickinson and Dillane conducted thorough research before filming, visiting prisons and consulting experts in homelessness and poverty, including Dickinson’s father, a social worker.
“We’re not making a documentary, but I wanted to make sure every aspect of the script was challenged and interrogated,”
Dickinson explained.
The film’s raw realism extends into its casting. While Dillane brings theatrical training, many actors in Urchin are first-timers whom Dickinson encountered in everyday London settings.
“I’d go up to them in the pub, find them outside a station,”
he recalled.
“I gathered this list of people I loved in terms of faces or vibes or feelings.”
To ensure respectful treatment, Dickinson collaborated with the theater company Cardboard Citizen, which consists of actors with real-life experience of homelessness and domestic abuse.
“I didn’t feel good about taking anyone who was in a really difficult scenario, whether they were unhoused or going through something, and putting them in front of the camera,”
he admitted.
“I think that’s tricky and morally tough to do. You’ve got to really make sure the after care is there.”
Influences and Inspirations Behind the Film’s Cinematic Style
Before filming Urchin, Dickinson, a self-taught filmmaker, hosted weekly screenings for his cast and crew that featured influential works exploring themes of displacement and survival. Among these were Agnès Varda’s Vagabond, Lino Brocka’s Manila in the Claws of Light, Leos Carax’s Lovers on the Bridge, and documentaries by British director Marc Isaacs.
“I wanted to make films before acting really took hold of me,”
Dickinson shared. Early in his twenties, he made a short film with the BBC and worked behind the scenes as an assistant camera operator and runner on various productions, experiences that shaped his directorial approach despite his nervousness about releasing such a personal work. “It was a gamble,” he said.
“It sounds overly prophetic and divine, but I don’t think I would’ve been able to do anything else. It took over my psyche, in a way.”
Cannes Recognition and Social Message Amplified Through Fashion
Urchin’s Cannes premiere brought critical acclaim, with Dickinson earning the FIPRESCI prize and Dillane receiving the Un Certain Regard Best Actor award. At the festival, Dickinson appeared in a sharp Prada suit but was later photographed wearing a t-shirt carrying a pointed political message referencing former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman:
“Living on the streets is not a lifestyle choice Suella. It’s a sign of failed government policy.”
This statement underscored the film’s urgent critique of societal neglect of homelessness and poverty.
Reflecting on Art, Activism, and the Actor’s Role in Social Issues
Balancing his directing career and upcoming role as John Lennon in Sam Mendes’s Beatles biopics alongside actors like Saoirse Ronan, Joseph Quinn, and Barry Keoghan, Dickinson contemplates the importance of artists speaking out on social matters.
“Speaking about [Lennon’s] journey with social issues, it was a thing for the whole band. A lot of people at that time had to suppress it, until it got so radical that he rebelled against it and started to speak about Vietnam, and civil rights,”
he observed.
“Now we’re in a time where it’s not radical to talk about these things. It just feels like a given. It’s not bravery to support something that’s right or wrong. It feels morally weird to not talk about shit.”
He acknowledged the challenges artists face when addressing societal topics.
“It’s tricky because, from the outside, people go, ‘Who are you to be talking about it? You’re in the entertainment industry,’”
Dickinson noted.
“But if I was me, just working down the road, I would still talk about these things. It just so happens that people write about them when I say them.”
A New Chapter for Harris Dickinson as a Filmmaker
Urchin marks a significant departure for Harris Dickinson, who has established himself among Hollywood’s most talented young actors but now channels his creativity toward directing films that confront urgent social realities. By using his platform to explore the complexities of poverty and homelessness, Dickinson not only challenges the entertainment industry’s traditional narratives but also amplifies voices often unheard in cinema. As Urchin continues to earn recognition, his evolving career as the Harris Dickinson Urchin director signals a promising future in socially conscious filmmaking, promising further projects that combine artistic ambition with compassionate storytelling.
