Monica Strømdahl

Director's note

In 2005, as a photography student in need of cheap accommodation, I checked into a run-

down hotel in New York. There, I met a community of people who relied on affordable housing but were shut out of the traditional housing market. For years, that small hotel, with its tiny, windowless rooms, became their home.

I returned year after year with my camera, living there for months at a time, and the people I met became my friends. When the hotel was shut down due to gentrification in 2013, its tenants were forced out, leaving behind a deep sense of loss and injustice. This experience drove me to document the ongoing housing crisis and the lives of those living in hotels and motels across the US. I called the project Flophouse America.

In 2017, in a hotel lobby, I met Mikal. An 11-year-old boy, raised in the hotel and in the crossfire between poverty and addiction. Meeting Mikal and his family made me realize photography wasn't enough to capture their story. I wanted to give them space to speak, to move, to show the complexities of their lives beyond still images. And so the 15 year photography project transitioned into film.

Flophouse America might be a trigger to watch. It is important to remember the vast number of children who live in the same circumstances as Mikal, and the importance of raising awareness about poverty and parental addiction in order to make change. Children like Mikal face intertwined challenges, including unmet basic needs, emotional trauma, educational barriers, social stigma, and systemic inequities. Overcoming these obstacles requires access to strong support networks, resilience-building opportunities, and comprehensive community and policy interventions. I wanted to give a voice to children like Mikal, for them to feel seen, empowered and represented. By offering a real insight to the problem, we might have a chance to make a difference.

Through making this film, my relationship with Mikal and his family evolved into something personal and meaningful. The trust between us allowed Mikal to set clear boundaries in the shoots. Some days, he was eager to be filmed and wear a mic–on others, he made it clear he wanted space. Between shoots, when I was in Norway, we would keep each other updated on everyday life topics.

When Mikal's mother Tonya passed away, I was one of the first people Mikal reached out to. In those initial days of shock and grief, we spoke daily. The process of filmmaking naturally stopped. 10 months later, Mikal and his father Jason invited me back to film Tonya's funeral, as they saw it as a necessary last chapter for the film. This to me was a profound moment of trust.

Since then, I have helped Mikal set up long-term therapy with a counselor who has become an integral part of his support system. They’ve developed a strong relationship, and she now assists him with navigating job applications and educational systems, providing guidance that extends beyond traditional therapy. She is also helping him prepare for the film’s release and the reality that his life story will soon be public. The same applies to Jason. I have arranged therapy for him as well, and we are continuously working to build a support network for them within their local community.

To this day, Mikal, Jason and I talk regularly. Our connection will continue after the film premieres, and for as long as we all find it natural and meaningful.

Visual approach

Flophouse America exposes the everyday consequences of a global crisis. Through unique access to Mikal and his family, we saw an opportunity to highlight both the personal and societal impact of rising poverty and social inequality.

Filmed in a purely observational style, the documentary strives for authenticity. Shooting alone allowed me to create an intimate, non-intrusive environment, with all action unfolding naturally in front of a static camera. The carefully composed, long, static shots contrast sharply with the raw and often unsettling reality of the family's life. Relying solely on available light influenced both framing and camera placement, blurring the distinction between day and night, reflecting the family’s irregular routines as they create their own sense of time.

At its core, Flophouse America is a film about fractured childhoods, social inheritance, and inequality, but also about hope and the dream of a better future.