Dealing with the passing of a loved one can be a very intense experience. Different feelings and thoughts come and go, almost like waves. You can feel disconnected from the outside world as time seems to stand still, however the world outside continues with it’s daily business.
We used the concept of waves as a general theme in both sound design and music to portray these feelings as they come and go, but we didn’t want to make the viewer feel sad or emotional on purpose.
The house symbolises the way Anna deals with the loss of her father. In the beginning the house feels cold and unfamiliar, so we kept the atmosphere inside the house as isolated as possible. But when the story progresses, we get to know Pim and the house seems to open up and we are hearing more of the outside world.
The Other Side of Sadness
Short film
In this hybrid film, both documentary and fiction, five young women describe the feeling of grief when losing a parent at a young age.
When Anna returns to her father’s house a year after his death, she lives through a storm of emotions as these may come and go in the process of grief.
Cast: Lotta Sophie Bakker & Casper Nusselder
Director & Scenario: Marit van der Heijden
Producer: David Warringa
DoP: Maxime Brun
Editor: Zoey van der Heijden
Sound design & Music: Elephant Ears
Studio: Studio Bart Jilesen