Link- https://vimeo.com/97069911
Password- Nordic2014
Within the first few seconds of its run time, Listen (2014) clearly conveys its narrative to the viewer. The delayed sentences and clarity of speech displayed by the actress in the first scene establishes her role as an interpreter while simultaneously implying that she is trying to calm the person she is speaking to. The point of view shifts multiple times between all the people present in the room to establish their reactions to her words. The film makes exceptional use of this as it captures the police officer’s confusion as they do not understand her words while also capturing the looks of the interpreter who is seemingly trying to neglect the woman’s suffering for religious purposes. This behaviour of the interpreter is further accentuated when in response to an officer’s question regarding the woman’s gestures, the interpreter claims “it’s a religious gesture, women do it if they feel guilty”.
In an interview, it was stated that “we took this story from an amalgamation of many real life cases that took place” (RASKIN, 2018). by taking inspiration from real life events, the story comes across as more grounded the viewer, it makes the characters and the situation more empathetic as a result which in turn makes the story more engaging.
Hjort (2018) speaks to the use of epistemic empathy in the piece with regards to the woman’s covered appearance, stating that it allows for “both empathetic and sympathetic attitudes towards the victim”. By fully concealing the abused womans face, it allows for the discrepancies between the police and the interpreter for religious reasons but it also promotes the emotion and direction of the actors. The audience is solely reliant on dialogue and the actors movements when forming an idea of the true narrative and the extent of this woman’s suffering. The lack of a visual aid means that the audience has their own interpretation of the damage the woman has sustained, further promoting the emotional connection between the audience and the piece.
Bibliography:
Hjort, M., 2018, Unlikely empathy: The process and effect of identification in Listen. Short Film Studies, Volume 8(1), 73-77
Raskin, R., 2018, An interview with Rungano Nyoni and Hamy Ramezan on Listen. Short Film Studies, Volume 8(1), 65-68
Wheeler Media 