Silence and her Roommate is written and created by the multi-talented Joanna Woźnicka and directed by Liam Harris. The animation is beautiful and the story is relatable of overcoming loneliness and finding yourself, and the silence of that journey. Every individual who’s been to university and is currently studying away from home around the globe can relate to this wonderful, heart warming short story. Silence and her Roommate follows Lola as she navigates silence as her roommate and the affect this has on her and other relationships. This short film brought back memories of my own experiences away from home at University at this age, the excitement of new adventures, meeting new people, but also the fear of not knowing anyone and being away from family and friends. The story is smoothly edited, well-written, highly engaging, and has a lot of heart. The use of sound, music, various effects and the voiceover of Lola (Tia Bannon) telling the story is powerful and earnest, and I felt adapted to the mood of Lola’s emotions. I believe the story is a metaphor of us as people growing up, developing and moving onto new paths in life, with the fear of leaving what we have always known. The traditional animation style and colours add to the sharpness and heartfelt intent and message I felt as an audience watching this. This is a gem of a short animated film I very much enjoyed and I would recommend everybody to watch it as it touches on a subject every person will relate to, silence and loneliness especially in this modern society.
Silence and her Roommate can be seen on the Rural Media Charity YouTube Channel Below:
Official Synopsis from the BBC and New Creatives website below:
Silence and Her Roommate
When Lola moves to university, Silence is a cute, winning guest who calms her as she navigates a new daunting life. But as Silence grows, Lola’s ties to the outside world start to suffer. Sooner or later, Lola will have to confront the elephant-sized creature in her room – how much Silence is simply too much?
New Creatives is supported by Arts Council England and BBC Arts.
Written & Created by Joanna Woźnicka
Directed by Liam Harris
Animated by Hannah Anastasi
Produced by Anna Campbell