When Erik D’Haene died of a drug overdose in 2020 at just 54 years old, he left behind more than a tragedy; he left a legacy. For decades, Erik lived much of his life on the margins, drifting in and out of homelessness while battling addiction.
Yet in that same span, he poured himself into art and writing: scraps of poetry on napkins, paintings born from found materials, letters that carried his voice when the world refused to listen.
Now, through a theatrical performance and a documentary titled Interpreting Erik, his siblings have taken on the profound task of preserving his story. Their mission is not only to honour Erik, but to challenge the way society sees those who are displaced: not as statistics or nuisances, but as human beings: talented, creative, and deeply loved.
Erik’s Life on the Margins
Erik D’Haene’s story begins long before the documentary, in a life marked by displacement and survival. At just 15 years old, he found himself navigating the streets, beginning what would become four decades of living in and out of homelessness. Addiction soon became part of his existence, a coping mechanism he once admitted was tied to the abuse he endured as a child.
Despite the instability, Erik never stopped creating. He filled scraps of paper, napkins, and found notebooks with words that revealed both pain and brilliance. Over time, his collection grew into more than 900 poems, letters, and stories, alongside nearly 200 paintings and drawings. Together, these works offer a portrait of a man who, though often unseen by society, was deeply observant of it.
In one of his most striking poems, Erik wrote: “I need an interpreter in my own skin. Friend, help me to find and keep a place here.” These words capture not only his yearning for connection but also the very essence of the documentary: a plea for understanding, and a search for belonging that continues even after his passing.
A Family’s Response
For Erik’s siblings, Donald, Marina, and Ronny, grief became a call to action. In the aftermath of his death, they were determined that Erik’s story would not fade into silence. Instead, they chose to gather his writings, artwork, and memories, presenting them in ways that would allow others to see what they had always known: Erik was more than his struggles.
Through a theatrical performance and the documentary Interpreting Erik, the D’Haene family confronts the stereotypes that often define people experiencing homelessness. As Donald explains, society tends to judge those who panhandle or sleep on sidewalks as burdens or nuisances, rarely stopping to consider the lives and talents behind the label of “displaced.” By showcasing Erik’s work, the family hopes to dismantle these perceptions and replace judgment with empathy.
In doing so, they highlight a powerful truth: every person living on the margins carries a story. Erik’s story, filled with creativity, passion, and resilience, becomes a reminder that those that society overlooks are not invisible; they are human, loved, and worthy of being remembered.
Donald D’Haene – The Interpreter
Among Erik’s three siblings, Donald took on the role of interpreter, both literally and artistically. A writer, actor, and filmmaker in his own right, Donald was uniquely positioned to bring his brother’s words and art into a new medium. Yet the task was far from simple.
Having spent a career telling his own story, Donald now faced the challenge of telling Erik’s. Balancing closeness with objectivity, emotion with distance, he needed to ensure that the project honoured his brother without slipping into sentimentality. Directing siblings added another layer of difficulty, as did guiding actors to portray Erik not as a character, but as a real human being stripped of theatrical artifice.
Reflecting on the process, Donald admitted that Interpreting Erik demanded every skill he had acquired, and some he had to develop on the spot. He described it as moving away from his instinct for “grand standing” toward something quieter, more intimate. What emerged was a whisper of storytelling that carried both weight and tenderness, giving space for Erik’s own words and creations to lead the way.
For Donald, the project became not just a film, but an act of love: a way to provide Erik with the peace and recognition he had been denied in life.
Creating Interpreting Erik
Turning Erik’s life into a film was never going to follow a traditional path. Interpreting Erik was built less like a polished production and more like a labour of love, improvised, deeply personal, and held together by a family’s determination.
The majority of the documentary was filmed in London, Ontario, with just a few scenes shot in Sarnia. Behind the camera, Donald worked closely with his brother Ronny, who handled cinematography, while editor Tammy Heisel and sound engineer Morgan Baker helped bring the vision together. On screen, Donald, Marina, and Ronny appear as themselves, joined by supporting actors Tyrone Traher and Tyler Lionel Parr to help channel Erik’s voice.
What makes the project remarkable is its unconventional spirit. Donald thought through every detail, down to the smallest moments, but always allowed Erik’s own words and art to remain at the centre. The result is a documentary that doesn’t look or feel like it was made “by the book”, and that’s precisely its strength. It mirrors the rawness of Erik’s life, resisting polish in favour of honesty.
Rooted in Southwestern Ontario yet carrying a universal message, Interpreting Erik demonstrates how one family’s dedication can transcend local borders, resonating with anyone who has known loss, love, or the struggle of being misunderstood.
Themes and Impact
At its core, Interpreting Erik is about more than one man’s life; it’s about the stories society often ignores. Erik’s writings and artwork reveal a person who was intelligent, creative, and full of dreams, even while living on the margins. By bringing his work forward, the film forces audiences to confront how easily we reduce displaced people to labels like “addict” or “homeless,” instead of recognizing their humanity.
The documentary also shines a light on issues that are often treated as abstract debates: homelessness, addiction, trauma, and survival. Through Erik’s lens, these challenges are no longer distant; they are lived experiences, rendered vividly through poetry, letters, and drawings.
Perhaps most powerfully, Interpreting Erik reframes the conversation. It doesn’t ask for pity but for empathy, reminding viewers that those who struggle are not defined by their hardships. They are brothers, sisters, children, and friends; individuals whose lives contain both suffering and beauty. In Erik’s case, his art and words continue to speak, ensuring that he is remembered not for his end, but for his essence.
A Story of Hope
Though Interpreting Erik does not shy away from pain, it is ultimately a story of hope. By piecing together Erik’s words, art, and memories, his siblings prove that even a life marked by hardship can be celebrated for its beauty. What might have seemed like fragments of a lost story instead become a mosaic of resilience and love.
The film also widens the circle of interpretation. Audiences are invited to step into the role of “interpreter” themselves, assembling meaning from Erik’s scattered writings and reflecting on what they reveal about humanity. In doing so, viewers are reminded that those who seem forgotten are never truly gone when their voices continue to be heard.
Erik’s legacy is not one of despair, but of recognition that every person has value, that every life is worth interpreting with care. For his family, keeping his memory alive is both an act of grief and a declaration of love. For the rest of us, it is an invitation: to see displaced individuals not as “nothing,” but as everything.
Wrapping Up
To interpret someone’s life is never simple, and for Donald D’Haene, doing so for his brother Erik was one of the hardest challenges he had ever faced. Yet through art, film, and family devotion, Interpreting Erik transforms private pain into a public act of remembrance.
Selected by over 200 festivals worldwide, this bold Canadian documentary proves that Erik’s story resonates far beyond his family. His words, his art, and his very existence insist that every life holds meaning, even when circumstances obscure it: a reminder to see the unseen, to listen to the unheard, and to interpret lives not by their struggles, but by their spirit.