Written and directed by Beth de Araújo, this film can leave you speechless with some of the dialogue during the meeting led by the elementary school teacher, Emily (Stephanie Estes), and later when that and similar dialogue is utilized in a public setting, with no immediate witnesses. I know by the end of the film that all that I witnessed felt like a gut punch. The performance by this small cast is phenomenal and I highly recommend watching the film, despite some of the hard to watch scenes. The film had a world premiere at SXSW 2022 (Narrative Feature Competition) and it continued the festival circuit this year. The film was nominated for the SXSW Grand Jury Award.
The film stars Stefanie Estes, Olivia Luccardi, Eleanore Pienta, Dana Millican, Melissa Paulo, Jon Beavers, Cissy Ly and the cinematographer is Greta Zozula.
Momentum Pictures has now released Soft & Quiet for viewing on VOD this month.
Synopsis – Playing out in real time, Soft & Quiet is a runaway train that follows a single afternoon in the life of an elementary school teacher, Emily, who organizes an inaugural club meeting of like-minded women. When they all decide to move the meeting to Emily’s house to keep the wine flowing, they stop at the local store to pick up refreshments. At the store, an altercation breaks out between a woman from Emily’s past and the group, leading to a volatile chain of events.
About the director (2022 Gotham Award Nominee for Breakthrough Director) – A Writer and Director featured in Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film. Her Moth story, Don’t Move, based on her feature screenplay, Josephine, participated in the 2018 Sundance Directors Lab. Her mother is Chinese American, and her father is from Brazil. She was born and raised in San Francisco with her three sisters.
Run Time: 91 minutes
Source: Momentum Pictures and Blumhouse