Films
Three Minutes of Silence

Funded by the BFI
BAFTA/Academy Qualified

Jane is a young teenage girl, isolated and often on her own. Stuck in her head, alienated and lonely, she has a hard time reaching out to other people. Her only outlet is drawing, which she does all the time. Jane strikes up a connection with Tisha, another young girl she sees at their neighborhood bus stop. Tisha in turn invites Jane to hang out at an unlikely place: a boxing gym, where Jane slowly comes out of her shell and into the world at large.

Written and directed by Ben Price with thoughtful visual acuity, this subtle drama does begin with about three minutes of silence as it details Jane's world, which is a profoundly quiet and lonely one. Home seems devoid of other people, and any attachment or warmth. We get a sense of the emotional neglect that Jane is surrounded by, which makes it harder for her to connect to others.

Intelligent, lucid and almost painterly sense of observation, "3 Minutes of Silence" is a quiet character portrait and an examination of loneliness and social isolation, and its narrative of hope and friendship exists on the internal, emotional level. It has dignity, patience and a willingness to tell the story of its awkward, withdrawn main character on her own terms, in a way she'd likely tell it herself. By staying so true to Jane, it achieves a unique, moving resonance, putting us in the shoes of someone who stands apart from the world -- but who summons the courage to take the first steps to change her life and connect with others, in a journey that is ultimately relatable to many.