Nick Perlman | Loving Silence / 2025

the endless noise of the past and future

by Douglas Messerli

 

Nick Perlman (screenwriter and director) Loving Silence / 2025 [15.20 minutes]

 

Since Jerome and Luke, former lovers who have broken up, meet up again quite by accident at a silent retreat, in shock, without either of them being able to talk about it, although it is apparent they both suffered a great deal in the event.

       It appears that since their break-up, Jerome has married, male or female we don’t know. But it’s also apparent that they both still have strong feelings for one another, Jerome (JJ Bozeman) now visiting Luke (Addy Marsh) in his cabin and snuggling up to him until the other again spots the ring and pushes him away. The strict vows of silence put upon the members of the retreat, despite the shrill vocal instructions of the camp leader (Claire Bridget Martin) as she leads them through very loud meditation exercises, eventually turns into giggles for the two of them.

      Jerome again attempts to visit Luke but can’t get up the nerve to knock at his door for fear of further rejection, although we see Luke sitting up in bed with great expectation, hoping obviously for a revisitation.

      Finally, Luke visits Jerome’s cabin and they can no longer contain themselves, as they both break out in a brief verbal conversation, Jerome explaining he understands why Luke broke up with him, with Luke finally admitting that he never stopped loving Jerome, Jerome admitting that he also feels the same way. Presumably the two have sex.

       But the retreat is only a weekend, and presumably they both return to the lives they have created since they left one another, seemingly not entirely happy since they have both sought a weekend of silence from the current noise of their lives. Whether or not the past has been healed is not established, but we know that the love they once had is still a very important part of their lives.

      Loving Silence is certainly not a very profound movie, and strangely, despite its silence, does not use any of the arts of silent acting. No gestures and mime here, nor attempts to communicate without voice except to attempt to get close to the other. Yet, it has an intriguing story that might have resulted in a far more interesting movie if the problems or even joys of silence in such a situation had been further explored.

 

Los Angeles, August 1, 2026 | Reprinted from My Queer Cinema blog (August 2026).