Over its 18-minute runtime, Between Breath & Silence explores the finality of life, the eternal power of love and the need to share our feelings and be seen and known by those who have loved us unconditionally.
The pain of losing someone close to you, whether a parent, sibling, partner or friend, is all-encompassing. When that loss is sudden, the shock can be truly devastating as your world turns upside down in a heartbeat, and when it’s a slow process, time can feel like it’s moving too fast to say and do everything you need to before the hourglass runs out. These themes find an artistically delicate yet emotionally impactful voice in the short film Between Breath & Silence by director Nicole Pott and writer/producer and actor Thomas Sargeant.
Inspired by a true story, Between Breath & Silence is about the conversations that haven’t yet been had, the words that haven’t been said and the emotional pain associated with the final days of a terminal condition. Tom (Thomas Sargeant) knows his dad, Paul (Graeme Hawley), is unwell; he has been struggling with his breathing and movement for days, and now he is in the hospital, where hopefully he can find healing. Meanwhile, at home, his mum, Sandra (Angela Lonsdale), is trying to keep everything normal, and his brother, Ryan (Sam Retford), is working as usual. But today isn’t a normal day.
As Tom sits beside his father’s bed, a doctor delivers news that sends a shockwave through the family. Paul has terminal cancer and just weeks, possibly months to live.
Opting for care at home, the lounge becomes Paul’s hospital room as Tom, his mum, and his brother attempt to navigate his final weeks and their need to tell him everything that has remained unsaid. For Tom, it’s his need to tell his dad about his new partner, Matt, a man who could well be the love of his life. Meanwhile, for his brother, Ryan, it’s the words ‘I Love You’ he needs to share; words he can’t remember saying to his dad before. And for their mum, it’s the need to make her husband’s final days as comfortable and loving as possible, in a family that, like most, hasn’t always seen eye to eye.
Over its 18-minute runtime, Between Breath & Silence explores the finality of life, the eternal power of love and the need to share our feelings and be seen and known by those who have loved us unconditionally. This intimate short film captures the pain of loss, the need for internal and external peace, and the importance of shared love and support. While the score occasionally feels slightly intrusive, given the intimacy of the short film’s quieter moments, the performances, direction, and screenplay are strong, allowing reflective space for each character as the moment of passing nears, without ever straying into melodrama or forced emotion.
Nicole Pott and Thomas Sargeant’s short film is at its strongest in its quiet moments of reflection. It’s a short film built around two brothers saying goodbye to a loving father and finally letting go of their emotions, while a wife and mother seeks harmony and love as her sons become her rock and her lighthouse in the darkest of times.
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