There probably is no other film that celebrates and appreciates the pure existence of a snail like it’s done in „The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating“.

Elisabeth Tova Bailey’s autobiographic short film is about a time in which she was confined to bed through illness.

It shows Bailey’s extraordinary intimate relationship to a snail, who called her bedroom its new home.

What is „The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating“?

Patient close-ups, the snail extends its tentacles. Careful and consistent.

Unexpected blackscreens, underlined with the sounds of a wild snail eating. Louder than anticipated.

Half a minute of a tracking shot. It records how the snail slides over a table surface. Slowly, but steady blazing it’s trail.

A calm voice talking about the effects of isolation and the attentive observation of this tiny, slimy, lovely animal. Every now and then the voice tells the viewer facts about this tiny, slimy, lovely animal. Did you know that snails have 2642 teeth?

Tova Bailey expresses with her film in both, a visual and an auditive artistic way the high value of nature for human beings who struggle with the feeling of isolation towards the outside world.

Altogether very decelerating und after 15 minutes it’s almost a pity not to be able to enjoy this rest anymore. But sometimes it’s just about the small things in life.