Written by Andie Kaiser
This review discusses themes of sexual assault and violence.
Louisa Connolly-Burnham’s short film The Ceiling is an incredibly powerful look at consent and sexual assault in the context of dating. Written by and starring Louisa Sexton, the film’s strength comes from its dedication to quietness and realism.
The Ceiling follows Harriet (Sexton), a woman who has spent the night with her new date, Jamie (Jake Curran). It opens in complete silence and goes on to show the two characters rousing from sleep and making small talk. When Jamie starts becoming more physical with Harriet, though, she backs off, saying that she doesn’t want to kiss him and that she has morning breath. He tells her that she doesn’t and continues. When he reaches over her to grab a condom from the bedside table, she asks what he’s doing. In response to her questions, he simply looks over at her with an expression like, you know what I’m doing. It’s wordless moments like these that communicate so much to the audience. Despite Harriet’s insistence that she doesn’t want to, that she feels gross, Jamie continues.
In the following moments, the film shifts audibly and visibly, as though time is slowing down within Harriet’s mind and the world is shrinking around her. The sound of her breath and heartbeat are foregrounded, with Jamie and the rest of the scene fading into a muffled background. The camera itself is closer now, too, focusing intently on Harriet’s face or eyes, the folds of Jamie’s back. At one point, the camera operates as though through Harriet’s eyes, looking directly at the bedroom ceiling as she dissociates from the situation. These are some of the most visceral, powerful moments in the film, which manages to portray the sheer gravity of the situation without resorting to sensationalism or gratuitous filmmaking techniques.
The exchange between Harriet and Jamie afterwards is incredibly affecting, with Jamie becoming upset by the notion that she hadn’t wanted it and that she was accusing him of something he hadn’t done. As a viewer, we stay with Harriet for most of the time, seeing her own possible confusion or inner conflict as he denies the truth of what she’s said. The film touches on arousal non-concordance, which occurs when someone’s mind and body aren’t in sync, so that they may exhibit physical signs of arousal without actually feeling desire psychologically. Jamie uses this against Harriet, arguing that her body’s response conflicted with the idea that she “didn’t want it.” It’s heartbreaking to watch, especially because of the terrible frequency with which this argument is made against survivors of sexual violence.
The film ends with the two characters leaving for breakfast, after Harriet has apologized to Jamie for making him feel bad. Once again, audiences are left with the sinking sense of how common these kinds of occurrences are for women. After the characters have left, the camera lingers on the empty bedroom silently for a few moments before the film ends, and again, we are confronted with the way that silence can say so much.
Resources:
RAINN (US)
The Survivor's Trust (UK)
Ending Sexual Violence Association of Canada (Canada)
Learn more about Filmotomy and the Femme Filmmakers Festival here!
Photos: Filmotomy
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