What makes a home? In search of an answer, the critically acclaimed documentary, The Human Shelter‚ brings its viewers on an inspirational expedition around the globe, to people who live in extreme social, economic and environmental conditions and present their testimonies that query the many dimensions of human living. Boris Bertram’s film is a poetic and cinematic examination of what defines a home, celebrating human resilience and creativity that are expressed in the portrayed stories from different parts of the world. As a viewer you will visit the snowy white landscapes of northern Norway, an Iraq refugees camp, a NASA habitat in Hawaii, tiny living quarters in Tokyo, and more.

In support of the Housing for All Campaign, The Human Shelter is available with subtitles in all UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish, and Russian. To access the subtitles click 'settings' and then 'subtitles' for language options.

‘The Human Shelter’ is produced by Creative Alliance and Good Company Pictures and supported by IKEA.

Boris Benjamin Bertram is an award-winning film director based in Copenhagen. His new film ’Photographer of War’ has just been released
in the U.S. and lately he has collaborated with New York artist Taryn Simon on a film about public mourning based on her piece ’An Occupation
of Loss’ (2016).

We asked some of the characters of the film ‘The Human Shelter’ how their life has been since they participated in the film and in particular, how the past many months under the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their lives and the way they feel about their home.

From the challenges of the nomadic life following your reindeer herd in Norway, to an important message sent to the world from a tree house in Uganda, to a floating community in the megacity of Lagos, and finally, a fairytale from Iceland. 

The Human Shelter was screened in Lagos, Nigeria, on October 10 in partnership with the IREP Documentary Film Festival and UN-Habitat, followed by a Q/A with members of the Makoko waterfront community portrayed in the film and the director Boris B. Bertram.