A successful “house tuner” in New York City, who calibrates the sound in people’s homes in order to adjust their moods, meets a client with a problem he can’t solve.
A self-taught scientist, Peter (Peter Sarsgaard) works in New York as a “house tuner”—a unique, highly specialized profession he’s invented. His clients approach him with troubles like depression, anxiety, or fatigue. After extensive analysis of their homes’ acoustic characteristics, he identifies some sonic combination—a radiator mixed with a kitchen appliance, for instance—that’s altering their mood. Despite some skepticism, his clients see results … until he meets Ellen (Rashida Jones), who is experiencing exhaustion. After his initial conclusion proves incorrect, Peter obsessively searches for the fault in his practice.
Adapting their short film PALIMPEST, writer/director Michael Tyburski and writer/producer Ben Nabors have created an elegant, lyrical film marked by a subtle unfolding of story and a gentle approach to character, disquietude, and human connection. Peter is a mesmerizing figure. Mannered, meticulous, methodical, he’s shaken when the years he’s spent mapping New York’s natural harmonies come into question. THE SOUND OF SILENCE is a serene contemplation of people living in their modern environment—and their desire to understand and even control it.