Hollywood Hotel (1995) [Short]

Australia (MIFF1995,Documentary)

Melbourne filmmaker Fiona Hergstrom was so fascinated by the inhabitants of this St Hilda hotel that she decided to move in and observe their daily life first hand.

Funded by Film Victoria's Independent Film­maker's Fund, Hollywood Hotel is a warm yet bleak study of a group of social misfits who for what­ever reason-be it financial, emotional or practi­cal have ended up as residents.

There's Dennis who loves to fight and drink but can still shed a tear when he recalls pop who carried him three miles with a cut foot. There's Scottish Sylvia who sings poetic ditties for her deceased husband and jokes about wearing a sign on her 'boobs not worn out 50 cents a time!' There's Cath and Alf who would prefer to be growing vegetables in the country but some­how can't leave St Kilda; there s Blind John who poignantly talks about the dishevelled state of the hotel and his fears about the violent behav­iour of its residents "! could go somewhere else but it might be worse"

Come pension day they all escape the hotel and hit Fitzroy St... look out!

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