God’s Promises Mean Everything spans seven years in the life of Derek, a homeless hostel resident who lives in Teesside in the North East of England – an area that has a rich industrial history and was formerly a major iron and steel hub. After being granted permission by the hostel, he visited Derek 1-2 times a month – to drop off food or hang out, talk or just listen to music. Through these visits, this time spent in each others’ company became essential to the work and allowed a unique fully collaborative project to develop. God’s Promises Mean Everything is an immersive long-term character portrait that extends over a number of years, but limits its perspective to a single room. Haunted by the spectre of the family he lost, Derek lives without the safety nets many of us take for granted. Significant life choices – involving financial difficulties, mental and physical health – are always close to the surface. God’s Promises Mean Everything reveals the unsettling fragility in the connections that make up our everyday experience. It is a personal, empathetic portrait of a man trapped in difficult circumstances. A story of disconnection and loss, but also of survival and daily rebellion.