Thin Places

Content Warning: This story discusses grief related to the loss of family.

Internal dialogue. Laughter. An ominous moment of dramatic sound. “Please answer me. I’m ready to listen now.” 

So far on Sonic Journeys we’ve been listening to a lot of documentaries, but today we’ll hear a drama. Thin Places, a short written and directed by Brit Hensel (Cherokee Nation), explores how the living can connect with those who have passed on. 

How does it feel to just listen to the quiet, and to sit in the not knowing? 

Content warning: subject matter (death) and strong language 

Sonic Journeys is presented by 4th World Media, a matriarch-led organization dedicated to media justice, narrative sovereignty and the holistic care of underserved filmmakers.

Host and Creator: Stina Thomas Hamlin

Supervising Producer: Jenny Asarnow

Executive Producer: Tracy Rector

Theme song: Tooh Nílíní by Kino Benally

Consulting Graphic Designer: Joel Schomberg

Cover art: Mer Young

Connect with us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Sonic Journeys is an independent podcast. You can find it on Apple Podcasts and anywhere else you get podcasts.

Transcript

Thin Places

Sonic Journeys 

Season 1 Episode 4

Release date: October 23, 2025

[clip from film]

Birdie, played by Shelby Factor:  Please answer me, I’m here to listen now.  I know you’re here.

[Intro soundscape]

Tracy Rector:  Welcome to Sonic Journeys.

[Music plays: Tooh Nílíní by Kino Benally]

Stina Thomas Hamlin: This is Stina Thomas Hamlin from 4th world media, coming at you here on Sonic Journeys, where we invite you to listen to the sound of cinema.  So far on the podcast, we’ve been listening to a lot of documentaries, but today we actually have a drama.  It has a lot of internal dialogue, laughter, an ominous moment of dramatic sound, along with lots and lots of Cicadas.

The film is titled Thin Places. It was written and directed by Brit Hensel, and it’s another film in the 4th world media family. It explores how the living can connect with those who have passed on.  A woman loses the people she cares for the most and through her grief and heartbreak, she listens for the thin places between worlds so that she can connect with the people who have passed. Sometimes sound in a film can take us on a deliberate journey and sometimes it can be ambiguous.  So we’re asking you, “How does it feel to sit and just listen, and to sit in the not knowing.

The film is about 16 minutes long, close your eyes, and open your ears, this is Thin Places.

♪ [ominous music swells] ♪

Wow. Looking good.

Hey, gotta get ready for school though, okay?

I'll pick up the rest, put on your shoes.

[door closes]

[knock on door]

[laughing]

You silly.

[door creaks open, footsteps]

Did I tell you, you look cute today?

Careful!

What time does he have practice?

Five. So, don't be late.

I won't.

Buckle in.

Okay.

See you later?

Okay.

Love you.

Love you.

You ready to see your girlfriend at school?

[boy] I don’t have a girlfriend.

[boy] I don’t have one.

Sure...Alright.

Wave to your Auntie!

♪ [music swells with heavy violin] ♪

[sirens in the background]

♪ [music stops abruptly with bell sound] ♪

[an ominous tone lingers]

[car honks]

[car honks louder and speeds by]

♪ [ominous music plays] ♪

[Birdie] Where are you really?

Sometimes I hear you, if I’m quiet enough.

When I close my eyes,

you were there.

I couldn’t sleep and my chest felt heavy.

♪ [ominous music continues] ♪

[Tama] Come on, wake up!

Come dance with me!

♪ [Spanish song plays] ♪

[Birdie] Oh, we're starting this early, huh?

♪ [song continues] ♪

[Tama] Yup.

[Birdie] I haven’t had my coffee yet,

you need to tone it down.

[Tama giggles]

[Birdie] Is he going out with us tonight?

[Tama] No.

♪ ♪

Absolutely not.

[Birdie] Bring him out.

I want to meet him.

[Tama] Why?

[Birdie] Because I have to.

[Tama] No you don’t.

[Birdie] Uh, yes I am.

If you're going to make me an Auntie,

I got to know who's around.

[Tama] You're going to be first.

[Birdie] Oh no I’m not!

[Tama] Keep that over there!

Keep that over there!

Intuition.

[Birdie] Intuition, I know it for a fact.

I know it.

[Tama] No!

[Birdie] I know if you keep drinking,

whatever you're drinking right now.

Frickin’ on one!

[Tama] Good medicine, maybe you need some.

Do you know what it's like now

without you here?

♪ [ominous music plays] ♪

Don't forget, I still need you.

And that I always did.

♪ [music continues slowly building] ♪

Please answer me.

I'm here to listen now.

I know you're here.

♪ [music contines] ♪

I think the rain is coming.

I smell it.

[wind picks up, wind chimes blowing]

Clouds have changed their shape since...

now the cicadas.

It seems like everyone is crying out.

♪ [humming] ♪

[sounds of sirens in the distance]

[fading sirens]

♪ [ominous ringing music continues] ♪

♪ [banjo strums] ♪

[breaking open cigarette]

[insects trilling]

♪ [banjo slowly strums] ♪

♪ [banjo continues] ♪

[crickets chirping]

Chiiit.

Chiiit.

Just making me wait.

[Tama] Sgigi? Me making you wait?

Okay.

[Birdie] One time we were sitting there,

I was just minding my own business.

She wakes up and she’s like, “Hey, I'm

going out for breakfast.” And I was like, Okay.

She comes back, She goes.

“By the way...”

Where did fuck did this accent come from?

She goes, “Oh, well, my friends

came home from Australia for a week.”

One singular week, and she goes, “My accent

just came back. It just comes back.”

I said, my fist is going to fucking come back

and pop you right in the fucking mouth.

Your lips look so crusty.

[Tama] Thank you.

Oh sorry, my hand slipped.

Sounds like that girl needs a good whoopin’.

You think I could get her?

You think I could fight her?

What!?

Be so fucking for real!

Why are you looking at me like that!?

Be so fucking for real!

Your lanky ass arms?

I mean, I got reach.

Yeah, okay Sponge Bob calm down.

Oh, man.

[crickets and birds chirping]

[plants rustling]

Voilà.

[laughter]

[blowing candle sound]

[laughter]

Does this make me your older sister now?

You'd love that, wouldn't you?

So I see you're still an idiot.

What you think got you out here!?

Oh yeah.

I'm starting to forget his eyes.

How is he?

Beautiful.

♪ [soft banjo music starts] ♪

Oh, it’s okay.

[sobbing]

Hey,

I mean, he's looking just like him.

Be serious, Tam

I am!

Seriously, he does.

He don’t act like him though!

Thank God.

He loves to play in the dirt,

doing his little dances, you know,

just talkin’ everyone’s ears off.

You know how he is.

He spends most of his days near you.

When we call him back, that’s usually where he's been.

♪ [banjo continues] ♪

He comes to you in animals, you know?

[Birdie] I'll tell your Mama, don’t think I won’t!

I was born at night, but I wasn’t born last night!

Hesdi!

Did I rush you?

Because I know that I was

supposed to take him to school.

No.

I know they say life is short,

but it's long.

Okay, and you can't hold that.

Don't carry that.

I'm everywhere where you are.

He's everywhere where you are.

Promise?

Always.

I mean, even when you fart.

[indistinct talking, laughing]

♪ [soft banjo continues] ♪

[indistinct talking continues]

♪ [banjo strumming gets a bit louder] ♪

[laughter]

[lighter flicks on, long breath]

[crickets chirping]

I'll quit.

[frogs croak along with crickets chirping]

[thunder roars in the distance]

♪ [banjo starts softly] ♪

[sounds of crickets continue]

♪ [banjo starts softly] ♪

[wind chimes swaying]

[water hose spraying]

Get her good!

There we go! Get her!

Hi, baby!

I miss you!

[boy] I miss you too!

♪ [banjo strumming] ♪

♪ [woman singing in Cherokee language] ♪

[Music plays: Tooh Nílíní by Kino Benally]

Thin Places was written and directed by Brit Hensel.  Starring Shelby Factor, Quannah Chasinghorse, and Roman Romero. Produced by Blake Brown, Tiffany Bruner, and Taylor Hensel. Executive Producers Heather Rae and Tracy Rector. Composer Daniel Bachman. Production Sound Ryan Weaver. Post Production Audio Studio, Bad Animals. Sound Design by Mike McCauliffe. Re-recording Mixer Paul Eric Miller.

This podcast is Sonic Journeys! It’s produced by 4th World Media.  We are a matriarch led organization dedicated to media justice, narrative sovereignty and the holistic care of underserved storytellers. Come check us out on instagram!  Send us a DM, follow us on Linkedin, give us a repost, a share, a like, we’re always at 4th World Media.  Oh, and we’re  brand new!  Tell all your friends, and give us five golden stars, that would be amazing!

Our Supervising Producer is Jenny Asarnow. Our Executive Producer is Tracy Rector.

Our Theme song is Tooh Nílíní, by Kino Benally. Consulting Graphic Designer, Joel Schomberg. Cover art by Mer Young. Sonic Journeys is created and hosted by me. I’m Stina Thomas Hamlin. Until next time.