Couper Was Here" is about a homeless woman in San Francisco, Couper, age 45. She is a former firefighter who got injured on the job and lives on a small monthly disability stipend. After her injury and a divorce, she could not afford an apartment in the Bay Area, and subsequently found herself living in a tent.
On the street, she has developed a lifestyle in the encampments with a unique spirit. She employs her paramedic skills for fellow encampment residents who do not seek medical help from hospitals for a variety of reasons, such as feeling shamed by hospital staff for being homeless or on drugs. She regularly administers Narcan to people to stop overdoses and sews up wounds. “I feel I have a purpose on the street. I’ve saved lives out here.” This film follows Couper in her caring for fellow tent-dwellers, and in her quest to find permanent housing in San Francisco.