The Sound and the Shadow

HAROLD is an allergy-prone recluse, living in a small Echo Park (Los Angeles) house in the center of a vibrant and loud Hispanic community. He spends his days obsessing over his collection of microphones, compressors, and sonic devices — recording neighborhood sounds and eavesdropping on the conversations of others to enjoy from the safe, hypoallergenic realm of his insulated home. That is, until a growing pile of bills leads him to rent out his garage to the vivacious young ALLY, a bike mechanic with an almost anthropological interest in “weirdoes”. Needless to say, she is fascinated by Harold, but shows little regard for his personal space. When Harold’s 6-year-old neighbor PEARL goes missing, Harold’s world is turned upside down when he realizes that his neighborhood recordings, along with the mysterious appearance of several strange objects in his home, may provide clues to the case. Not trusting the police, the unlikely pair vow to find Pearl themselves by spying on their neighbors and pursuing their own suspects. Ally’s drive and Harold’s fear prove a difficult and sometimes comic detective partnership as Ally pushes Harold far beyond his realms of comfort and challenges the very nature of his identity. Against the backdrop of a small community’s mystery, “The Sound and the Shadow” examines the very character of our homes — how we live, love, and hide inside of them.