BBC Drama

Men Who Sleep in Cars (2017x11)

Air date: Oct 01, 2017

'They catch Mancunia's infectious yawn, and this great city holds them in its palm.' This drama by poet Michael Symmons Roberts follows three men in Manchester during one night in September. Written in verse, the film tells the poignant stories of Marley, Antonio and McCulloch. It is also a love song to a city - to Manchester, the backdrop to the film, whose familiar streets are difficult to leave for the departing Sarah. Marley, Antonio and McCulloch are men whose lives have turned upside down for very different reasons. They sleep on the streets of Manchester in their vehicles, having lost all their economic and social power. They hide away in disused car parks or in industrial estates, trying to snatch sleep, listening to the radio for company. The commentary from England's first World Cup qualifying fixture, where some of the richest, most powerful men in the world of sport compete on the world stage is a stark contrast to their own situations. As the film continues, it becomes clear how these three came to spend the night in their cars, and how their lives interconnect.