What does Sonder mean?

Sonder (noun): the realisation that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.

Source: Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

What’s it about?

Each of the six films follows a different character and explores different topics, but have similar themes running through including: Family, Grief, and Relationships. There are moments of sincerity, comedy, and maybe some unsettling moments too.

Why are you making Sonder?

Sonder was written at the beginning of the pandemic as an answer to what could be filmed with minimal contact with others, and even though lockdowns have gone away people of all walks of life may still find themselves alone at home; Sonder explores how people think, feel, and live behind closed doors.

Who are the characters?

The Town Gossip: A lady who loves to tell people about the local goings-on with a cup of tea in her hands, and a twinkle in her eye.

The Mother?: A young woman uncertain of whether she’s pregnant contemplates what her life would look like as a mother.

The Teacher: Getting ready for work this man reflects on his job and how the way we’re raised impacts our life into adulthood.

The Influencer: A young woman scrolls on her phone while defending her career choice and letting us look behind the curtain of social media.

The Dater: A woman comes back from yet another date and as she gets unready she reveals the hardships she has had in her dating life.

The Birdwatcher: A man sits alone watching the birds outside his window. He readily offers a lot of information, some about birds, some about his dead wife, all of which is interesting and fairly detailed, but also rather vague.