MM Shorts – Between Breath And Silence

Director: Nicole Pott

Starring: Thomas Sargeant, Greame Hawley, Angela Lonsdale, Sam Retford, Kris Mochrie

When life deals us a devastating hand, our immediate reaction can often veer in two different directions. An overworked state of panic as those around us scramble to encourage us to take deep breaths and decompress, or an eerie sense of silence as we’re almost paralysed by the news filling our ears.

In the aftermath, our emotional trajectory can be rather fragmented as we stir over the what ifs and what could have been’s. Is there a degree of selfishness in what we want to declare? Is there ever a truly right time in being completely frank with those we hold dear? Can we seize those final moments in establishing a long overdue, proper connection?

A story told with such bracing honesty by writer and lead actor Thomas Sargeant coupled with Nicole Pott’s thoughtful direction, Between Breath And Silence gracefully encapsulates the complexities of grief.

From the film’s evocative opening shot as a single white feather slowly descends into a quiet living room, it’s evident a sleepy Tom (Sargeant) is seeking his own sense of inner peace. Quickly we are thrust into the backseat, observing his restrained interactions with new boyfriend Matt (Kris Mochrie) as Tom comes to terms with father Paul’s (Graeme Hawley) admittance into hospital overnight.

Keen not to drive a potential wedge between him and his hard of hearing mom Sandra (Angela Lonsdale) as well as his estranged brother Ryan (Sam Retford), Tom opts to keep Matt at a distance whilst he confronts the increasing severity of his father’s ailing health. But as time becomes finite, just how long can Tom keep holding his breath? Can he finally shed the emotional weight of what he’s carried around, before it’s too late?

Particularly in this context, the film’s utilisation and consideration of space is top-drawer. Tom in one instance warmly remembering his dad constantly hiding the remote is rather fitting, because director Pott and actor/writer Sargeant never look to press emotional buttons that seem intrusive or overwrought.

Whether it be the long winding corridors of a hospital ward as we catch Sandra between the hospital room blinds, a metaphor for how they’re collectively struggling to view the situation. Ryan’s reluctant reception of a warm-hearted palliative care nurse in the kitchen, facing down how to articulate how he feels or positioning us on the other side of the bed whilst Tom has precious minutes of his own with Paul, almost like we’re holding his hand through it all for a moment. The distance afforded to its protagonists throughout as they begin to pour their hearts out adds a wealth of authenticity to proceedings.

Such authenticity only seeps into the wonderful showings from its ensemble. Rather clipped in his words and expression, Thomas Sargeant articulates the inner conflict of Tom exquisitely, making his eventual outpouring all the more heart-breaking. We may not get enough quality time with Graeme Hawley’s Paul, yet his sense of humour in the face of death initially shines through. A swift turn to Tom, as the awful news is delivered to him only to fix his gaze to the ceiling in a bid to remain strong, impeccably sets up the emotional crux of the film. Starting out as an imposing figure in how he’s framed, the growing vulnerability and nervous tics of Sam Retford’s Ryan are brilliantly realised whilst there is a delicate quality to Angela Lonsdale’s portrayal of Sandra, slowly withdrawing herself as she processes the unfolding events.

An immaculately performed short which undoubtedly hits close to home. Between Breath And Silence is an understated beauty.