Louder Than Words

2014, 3 minutes

A young man’s effrontery sparks retaliation from office clerk, Russell Wiggins, triggering a silent standoff over a packet of crisps.

The film introduces protagonist, Russell as he purchases a packet of crisps from a vending machine after another dull day at the office. He sits down in the waiting room at his local GP’s surgery and picks up a newspaper, opposite a younger man, Thomas Jackson. A rumble from his stomach makes Russell reach for the crisp packet. This seems to catch the man’s attention, and when Thomas reaches to take from the same packet, tensions rise. Unwilling to spoil the subdued atmosphere, Russell races this insolent stranger through the packet, bubbling with rage thinly veiled by detached silence. The receptionist announces the appointment of Mr Thomas Jackson; the stranger rises and offers the packet to Russell who betrays his anger by snatching and devouring the remaining crisps. On impulse, he then reaches across the table for Thomas’s water and takes a defiant swig. Thomas shakes his head in disbelief and leaves. Russell looks around at the disapproving faces and gets up in shame, retrieving his coat. As he does so, he hears his packet of crisps in the coat pocket crunch and freezes as he comprehends his terrible misjudgement.

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