Human Noise
After their family moves to Germany, a socially awkward teenager
is forced to translate the new world for her overbearing mother.

No matter the outside genre of a short, there’s got to be genuine human drama underneath. Sympathetic, relatable characters – people that, despite whatever flaws they try to hide or struggle against – the audience roots for them to eventually reach peace… and win.

Speaking of “win”, writer Desiree Winns achieves exactly that sentiment with her straight drama “Human Noise.”

Set in modern day Germany, Human Noise is seen through the eyes of an all-too-familiar American family. Comprising dad George, perfectionist Mom Katrina, and Elle (16), they’ve just relocated for George’s career. 

The exhaustion of travel and the need to acclimate to a country where English isn’t the first language quickly wears on the trio’s nerves. Especially Katrina and Elle. Most of us know how sharp mother-daughter clashes can sometimes get!

No sooner have they reached the new apartment, when pre-existing family sore spots flame to life:

Elle shifts her suitcase.

KATRINA
Don’t scuff that floor.

Elle tenses. George shrugs on his coat.

GEORGE
The office needs me to check in, 
so I’ll be back before seven.

He kisses her on the cheek, then looks back at Elle.

GEORGE 
Your room’s in the back,
with the window. You’ll like it.

Elle smiles appreciatively. Katrina warms up.

KATRINA
Is there a store nearby?
                              
GEORGE
There’s an Edeka around the corner. 
They might speak English.
                              
KATRINA
I’ll take Elle just in case.

ELLE
(mumbles)
Or just translate it yourself.

Yowch! Whatever language it’s in – teenage snark burns!

And that’s just the first shot over the bow. Because Katrina’s resentful at being uprooted to a country where even the culture seems somewhat… odd. As a result, she’s leaning too heavily on Elle. Who in return bristles at her Mom’s sniping criticism and refusal to tackle such chores herself.

Things get even worse when the mother-daughter team venture out to a grocery store. At first, Katrina can’t even figure out how to take a cart. Communicating with the cashier proves to be harder than Elle’s German phrasebook made it out to be…

And when it comes time to talking to a technician for their very vital Wi-Fi setup, the language barrier (in English, let alone German) proves even worse!

Travel’s supposed to be enriching. Or maybe that’s “revealing”? Because being transplanted to a new country soon puts Elle’s teenage need for independence in bas relief. Perhaps it’s a sign that Elle must stop letting her mom define her life; a sign we all can read as humans – no matter WHAT native tongue we speak!

A simple elegant short, Human Noise is very budget friendly: shootable either in Germany (for easy authenticity). Or a few German props and bilingual actors would make this feasible for the States, too.  As long as conflict chemistry sparks between Katrina and Elle, audiences will find this little slice of life a satisfyingly relatable, international tale!