Stewart Hannah | Listen / 2019

the difference

by Douglas Messerli

 

Stewart Hannah (screenwriter and director) Listen / 2019 [5 minutes]

 

In this very short love story, we meet Adam (Knowe Rata) who is having a difficult time with the fact that his companion of 1 years, Tom (Luka Klindo) has broken up with him to just think things out.

    It’s now been almost three months, and Adam has still not received a full answer for why Tom has suddenly needed to think out what he perceived was a healthy relationship. Adam argues that Tom simply won’t “listen,” evidenced by the fact that he goes about everywhere with earphones around his neck.

     Adam claims he could comprehend if there was someone else involved or if only he had any kind of explanation, but Tom walks away again frustrated by what he describes as Adam’s selfishness.

     Adam follows, finally pulls away Tom’s head phones and refuses to return them, rushing off with Tom on the chase; he trips, however, on a rock and the phones go falling over the cliff into the Australian waters below.

     But if nothing else, he finally gets a full conversation out of Tom, who explains that he knows what pain Adam is going through and he still loves Adam. He’s just not sure of what he wants for the future and needs the time to think it out.

     They hug and kiss, and obviously must both go on their ways into an unsure future which faces so many couples, gay and straight who perhaps entered a relationship too quickly or were simply unready for the difficulties and loss of a sense of self any deep relationship requires. There is often one in the relationship who depends upon its existence for his definition and sense of protection, while the other feels he’s had to give up everything for other’s needs. Until one can be sure that the partnership is more important that the presumed independence and sometimes loneliness which comes with that, the friendship cannot move on, each will always feel difference.

     As Tina Turner might have argued, although certainly with a much more cynical intent, “what does love have to do with?”

 

Los Angeles, July 27, 2026

Reprinted from My Queer Cinema blog (July 2026).