In a world that is fast-paced — where humans are expected to do more, absorb more, hustle harder, and take in as much information as possible — there’s a small but growing group of us who’ve cottoned on to something: in the end, stillness and slowing down might actually be more productive. More grounding, more interesting, and better for us overall.

And when it comes to storytelling, filmmaking, and the films I choose to watch, I feel the same way.

Give me long, quiet shots of absolute “nothingness.” Characters sitting in silence, looking out over cliffs, quietly applying makeup, moving through their room looking for a favourite pair of shoes. Couples glancing at each other with nothing left to say. And my personal favourite – Rooney Mara eating pie on the floor for six uninterrupted minutes — no music, no camera movement, no sound design — just grief, just time, just presence.