What we say...
...What we mean.
'Powerful and to the point, What we say, What we mean doesn’t waste its time or it’s meaning. Parmenter’s vision is direct and empathetic bolstered by an excellent script and performances.'... Corey Bulloch -UK Film Review****
Award winning Short Film starring
Chris Reilly & Charly Burridge- Jones,
Weaving in and out of the reality of this last argument, the closing scene of a relationship. 'What we say, What we mean' aims to tell this most painful of life experiences with it's full depth of thought and emotion, offering an alternative perspective. As the reality is never quite everything we meant it to be.
Writer/Director/ Producer/ Editor - Abigail Parmenter
Actors: Charly Burridge- Jones & Chris Reilly
DOP- Joao da Silva
Sound recordist- Dustin Fisher
Composer- Nick Parmenter
Sound department- Sound Node
Daniel Jaramillo Gutierrez, Marco Toca Ramirez, Johan Winstedt
Colourist- Brad Watson
Production Assistant- Jessica Chamberlain
UK Film Review ★★★★: By Corey Bulloch
'The screen cuts to black and the credits roll at the 3:30 mark, in the short runtime of What we say, What we mean writer-director Abigail Parmenter delivers a potent and realistic depiction of a strained relationship reaching the last straw....' Click here for the full review
Film Shortage ★★★★: by Marco Luca
'A Film with a unique perspective on a common story.'
Exit 6 Review of What we say, What we mean:
Click on the image below and head to 18:40mins to hear the Exit 6 interview with Abigail followed by the teams review.
BBC Radio Oxford - A part of the Oxford International festival
Click on the image below and hear What we say, What we mean as part of the Featured content of the festival with the BBC.
Film Festival run...
Winner 'Best debut short by the Director' @ SFAAF
Finalist 'Best debut Short film' @ Out of the Can International Film Festival
Runner up 'Best female Director' @ Out of the Can International Film Festival
Nominated 'Best Micro short' @ Oxford International Film Festival
Nominated 'Best British Short' @ Southampton International Film Festival
Nominated 'Best Actor' @ Southampton International Film Festival
Nominated 'Best Actress' @ Southampton International Film Festival
Official selection @ Exit 6 Film Festival
Official selection @ Detroit Shetown Film festival
CHARLY BURRIDGE- JONES
Cathy
Fantastic Actress & Producer of Fivefiftyfive Productions. Credits include Containment, Beyond the Cosmos, Pound for pound CV here
CHRIS REILLY
Connor
Scottish BAFTA award winning Actor, who has an imense list of screen and stage creadits which include Everest, Allied, Game of thrones, Wiki page here
There’s a habit in the media and film of sensationalising and idealising dating, relationships and breakups.
I wanted to tell story which conveyed a more nuanced and deeper perspective on how and why a relationship can come to an end. The reality is often painful and disjointed, full of ill thought out and reactive communication, sometimes paying little resemblance to what the relationship was. In the aftermath, regret and sadness start to break through the anger or denial and we are sometimes left with a new found clarity on the good, the bad, in ourselves and our ex partners which becomes lost in the heat of the moment.
With ‘What we say, What we mean’ I wanted to provide a stage where both realities could play out and intertwine. Both existing in tandem to convey the complexity of what is unravelling before us. Simple, representative visuals and gritty 'lived in' characters allow space for the two conversations to coincide with out becoming detached from reality. It provides this space between the two characters to reflect on what was and no longer is, to honour the relationship and each other. Letting go and saying Goodbye.
I hope although sad in essence, it gives you the viewer a cathartic release and another perspective to consider as life moves forward.