Soft | Drama Short Film

A teenager struggles with his identity and masculinity after an unresolved family relationship.
Written & Directed by Benedict Webb.
What is Room 18 Films?
Room 18 Films is a UK based narrative film production and distribution company, an online platform for independent, narrative-driven work from upcoming directors, writers and producers.
Share the film!
Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/film/soft-2018/
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt9024218/
Follow Us!
Website: room18films.com/
KZbin: / room18films
Instagram: / room18films
Twitter: / room18films
TikTok: / room18films
Connect with the Filmmakers!
Benedict Webb: benedictwebbfilm.com/
📼 A Room 18 Film 📼
'SOFT'
Written & Directed by
Benedict Webb
Starring
Harry Walters
David Carrozzo
Julia Leyland
Produced by
Benedict Webb
Director of Photography
Joel Tucker
1st Assistant Camera
Archie Dobert
DIT
Joel Tucker
1st Assistant Director
Neil Perez
Boom Operator
Neil Perez
Production Design
Sasha Mitchell
Pippa Cornish
Sciena Caitlin Peters
Editing
Benedict Webb
Colour Grade
Joel Tucker
Executive Producers
Daniel Ford
Craig Ennis
Isi Gruenewald
Script Supervisors
Craig Ennis
Daniel Ford
Soundtrack
'308 Negro Arroyo Lane' by Dave Porter
'Dancing in the Moonlight' by Toploader
'Morning Talk Symmetry' by Arcade Fire
'Is there Anything Left' by Be Still The Earth
'Rushes To' by Frank Ocean (Vimeo)
'Lump Sum' by Bon Iver (KZbin)
'Peace' by Hale
Special Thanks
Karen Webb
Andrew Webb
Marilyn Webb
Jude Webb
Liz Walters
Martin Walters
Holly McGarrigle
Bradley Mccowan
📼 Director's Note 📼
Thank you so much to everyone who made this project happen. I'm really proud of us all and I know we gave this 100%. I'm super happy that we created a story that came from a personal and heartfelt place. But most importantly that we all had so much fun on set and in bringing this short together. Thank you so much to Harry, David, Julia, Joel, Neil, Archie, Sasha, Sciena, Pippa, Dan, Craig and Isi for helping this project happen come to life...
© 2018 A Room 18 Films Production.
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[@jean-mi1825]

Utterly amazing the amount of things said through silence. Thank you for this outstanding short

[@benedictwfilms]

Thank you so much!!

[@jgrmtnjgrmtn3954]

Please explain with examples in the film of why and how this is so.

[@PoetKayEh]

The title of this film was perfect because people don't realize it doesn't matter how old we are, family is part of our human makeup. So when one parent or either both or missing that's a piece that's missing out of our lives. Perfect film as usual 👏🏾👏🏾

[@ricklucas7014]

"Hollywood" take note this is how it's done, loved every moment.

[@Room18Films]

Thank you!

[@barendtobe6059]

What a nice film, emotional!! I am busy with making a book about me and my family with pictures and writing stories about the past. And I have a past!!...I am almost 72 yr. Greetings from Utrecht in the Netherlands

[@benedictwfilms]

This is really heartwarming! So glad this film could touch you. Keep writing stories and the book! Greetings from the UK back to you.

[@danielcorbeille]

Greetings. I am from Brookfield, Wisconsin but lived in Utrecht in the 1990s. It is my favorite city in Europe. I wish you success with your book. Daniel Corbeille.

[@wnemonix]

Very good movie, acting, storry telling! The power of unspoken and suggested words, fellings and thoughts. Thanks, i had a very good time watching it :) For those who wonder about the meaning, here's my interpretation, just after watching it (i'm telling you this is not actually the Truth and the director's intention) : the reason why there are tensions between them is because he maybe was motested or treated badly by his father when he was yonger and this is a thing that leads to conflict in the familiy. Look at his child's face on the VHS when his father called him ; he was happy few minutes ago at his party but suddenly, all his joy is frozen and you can read fear in his eyes... I guess that's why as a teenager he's dealing with masculinity issues and why his relationship with his stepfather is tensed because he rejects father/man's figure. That explains why the mother wanted to get rid of the video tape and the weird end where he finally realizes and begin to accept living with this trauma/pain and is now looking for man's comfort. Do you agree? :)

[@gingerels]

This was so incredible - all the little details, the cinematography, the use of pauses, sound effects, everything was so professional - honestly AMAZING 💛

[@Higuys3546]

So beautiful ❤️ I feel so proud of everyone involved and it was such a pleasure to see this film through to completion- from being on set, facing difficult challenges, to finally seeing this heartfelt film on the big screen. Well done all! X

[@rsproductions8194]

Tis art my friends... Tis art

[@ladyjules1961]

beautiful. So moving, incredibly sensitive.

[@edwardcook8982]

The kid looks & acts like Heth Ledger. His eyes & facial expressions tell us his growing pain as an adolescent. Hope Hollywood director catches this short film and see this kid. He is an Oscar in the making!

[@Room18Films]

Thank you for your kind words Edward! We hope you stick around for more films and more appearances from the actor Harry.

[@harrywaltersR18]

Thank you Edward, appreciate the massive compliment 😊

[@alfredoromanes3997]

All right call me call me my phone okay call me I I wonder for you okay I I mean my phone okay call me I I call me I I call me I care about okay John my iPhone call me call me at 2:00

[@millxr8180]

I'm blown away by the way this was made, incredible. It takes an awful lot of skill to create the silent scenes that you guys have and they still manage to speak a thousand words, all the right ones too. This is amazing stuff!

[@Room18Films]

InfinityV Thank you🙏🏼

[@jgrmtnjgrmtn3954]

Please explain with specific examples from the film. I found it unclear and incomplete

[@jean-tatlock26]

​@@jgrmtnjgrmtn3954I agree

[@larissagabriele6909]

I just loved this short film! Congratulations to everyone involved, the scenes and the details are so well done. I hope you guys keep doing this amazing work that deserves so much more views and repercussion! 😊🥰

[@Room18Films]

Larissa Gabriele Thank you very much😊

[@jgrmtnjgrmtn3954]

Please explain why, how, examples in the film.

[@nataliebroomfield9658]

Absolutely brilliant well done everyone involved very moving and real xxHarry your amazing x

[@Room18Films]

Thank you so much Natalie!

[@MotionBoatFilms]

Amazing powerful film, fantastic to watch.

[@barryfield1859]

What a wonderful story put over well. Amazing acting that was brilliant. Loved it.

[@Room18Films]

Thank you Barry!

[@quisquos]

Bloody GORGEOUS well done all

[@maidenengland2]

So emotional

[@jm7804]

So good. I'm tired of being spoon fed every little detail in a film. And if every detail isn't there, then the sheople blast the film as lacking character development. The lack of detailed dialog, when replaced with subtle suggestions, allow the viewer to develop a more complete story in their mind. Great art and literature challenges the viewer. I know for certain the stepdad puts his arm around him and comforts him at the end. Good storytelling.

[@Room18Films]

Thank you very much! A really lovely comment, really appreciated. We definitely wanted to keep the film understated and subtle, say more with silences than exposition and keep it open for interpretation. Glad that's resonating! Thank you so much! -B

[@edwardseymour4930]

...a brilliantly touching film... thanks...

[@Room18Films]

Thank you Edward for watching! Stick around for more coming very soon!

[@marnyfrancesca2526]

Powerful!

[@rw8733]

Stunningly good. Well done. Beautiful.

[@Room18Films]

Thank you so much!

[@studiotwentyone]

Great work!

[@cudberto1958]

very moving great ending

[@Room18Films]

Thank you!! Glad you enjoyed.

[@jgrmtnjgrmtn3954]

How so. Plz explain with examples from the film.

[@grahamtucker5204]

Superb.

[@harrywaltersR18]

Big up🙌🏼🔥🎥

[@simonsines]

Beautifully made and acted, well done

[@Room18Films]

Thank you so much Simon!

[@rickwaggoner8479]

@@Room18Films Will there be a sequel or another video?

[@Room18Films]

@@rickwaggoner8479 Hey Rick, there won't be a sequel to 'Soft', however there will be more films coming out very soon this year on Room 18 Films! -B

[@rickwaggoner8479]

@@Room18Films Ok thanks!

[@hermanmorren2708]

A Great movie.

[@Room18Films]

Thank you Herman!

[@riccardo50001]

Sensitive short film. Was there something going on between Jaden and the new "man" in the house. Whatever, nice to see the affection at the end.

[@Room18Films]

Thank you Richard! How I wrote it was Jaden putting up a wall emotionally to the step-dad. He's struggling with his own identity and emotions through the absense of his own father, so he's not too enthuastic at first in building a connection to a new step-dad. Also the step-dad isn't warm at first and not exactly a male figure Jaden needs. Eventually the step-dad realises the hurt of his words and takes the responsibility on - B

[@charpnatl]

This was beautiful.

[@Room18Films]

Thank you so much! -B

[@charpnatl]

@@Room18Films You guys are welcome!

[@silenusut]

Rather too ‘incoherent’. Still, well played. And the ending was a good twist. Subbed.

[@Room18Films]

Heard and feedback recieved, thanks a lot! - B

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Nice..

[@Room18Films]

Thank you!

[@samp9853]

My brain cells must be on strike. They aren't connecting. Can somebody tell me what conclusion can we draw about who Jaden's father is or what are we expected to understand?

[@Room18Films]

That's okay! Thank you for your comment, appreciated! Jaden’s father left when he was one years old. The lack of a father figure and male role model has a big impact on him in his relationship with his mother and new stepdad, feeling comfortable within himself growing up and knowing what a man should be like. Jaden continuously searches for his father in hopes to resolve this, most notably in finding this VHS tape of his first year of his life. But after all this, he ultimately concludes he just needed to look inwards towards himself. - B

[@samp9853]

@@Room18Films thanks for taking the time to explain. Really appreciate. I kind of get it but not sure if I had missed other (if any) significant point

[@pistonmeyers]

@@samp9853 When Jaden said what would you know about being a man. The stepfather realized his pain. Instead of becoming defensive he gave him the vhs player. While watching the video he realized what he was looking for was not in the video. He made the connection that the stepfather's empathy was the emotional connection he sought. Thus the head on the shoulder. This also explains the title. Part of being a man is to know when to be "soft."

[@PanayiotisVyras]

@@Room18Films The father did not "leave" at all. He's been present (in his absence) all along, making it very hard for his son. And softness is about allowing departures, as well as welcoming arrivals... Well done!

[@daubipiccoli]

@@samp9853 I agreed with you! For the first thing I was expecting was the gay part of it, once I received this KZbin recommendation as a “Gay movie”. So! I was thinking that his father could be agressive or abuser on him (I don't know). But, when he finally would know who's his father was, he stopped watching??? 🤷🏻 Sixteen years of curiosity and ... “never mind! Let it go...”??? I don't think so! 🙄😕 There's a lot of imagination in the authors explanations! But...

[@jgrmtnjgrmtn3954]

What was any of this about ! ? Comments here are so delighted with this film yet its so unclear to me in every frame

[@Room18Films]

That's okay! What was not clear for you?

[@jgrmtnjgrmtn3954]

@@Room18Films the basis, the reason the kid is so sad, what the mothers sixteen years reference means, why she doesn't want him to watch the video, why watching it means anything to him and confirmation the video is his younger self...or is it...

[@PanayiotisVyras]

@@jgrmtnjgrmtn3954 Guess, what! You may answer all of those questions, in any way you wish.

[@lourdesangulo413]

✨✨💓🙌

[@TRUTHTEACHER2007]

I don't get it. What am I missing?

[@jeromystone778]

Um...... Uh...... I don't get it.

[@patcomerford5596]

BORING.🤭🤭🤭

[@liviamaria535]

Trabalho muito bonito, quanta sensibilidade! Legendas em português?? 🤍

[@Room18Films]

There are now.