Guernsey

In the starting minutes of Guernsey, nothing is said. A woman travels from abroad back to Holland and makes love to a man without saying a word. Subsequently, their relationship gradually becomes clearer. Who someone is, what someone is called, what the relationship is between two people, where somebody is: everything slowly appears from what is said and especially from what is not said. Director Leopold shows the fixed patterns among friends and relatives; the silences that fall, the remarks that are ignored. Particularly with strong emotions like love, disloyalty and forgiveness. The woman's sister (Johanna ter Steege) talks more, but equally hides her thoughts and feelings. The inner developments have free rein owing to the absence of music, the often still frames and the editing. Guernsey was selected for the programme section Quinzaine des Réalisateurs at the Cannes film festival.