In the aftermath of sexual assault, a big gaping hole opens up in English professor Agnes’ life (Eva Victor, who also writes, directs and stars) and they become both metaphorically and literally stuck. Sorry, Baby unfolds in a non-linear fashion and only indirectly refers to the assault as ‘the bad thing’. Victor elegantly expresses the interiority of Agnes’ complex feelings with extraordinary emotional pitch in a sensitively handled reframing of the trauma narrative. It’s laced with humour, tenderness and huge respect for survivors. 

Agnes cherishes their close friendship with Lydie (Naomi Acke) who appears in the opening chapter on a visit to the Massachusetts home they once shared while studying at university. It’s a cosy introduction in a film that flips through time to reveal startling events in an understated way, with precise composition and framing. 

At one point Victor makes you feel like the air has left the room during an awkward reunion dinner with fellow graduates when someone mentions the person who assaulted them. Victor translates the seismic waves of a dissociative episode without a character even uttering a word. This is deeply intuitive and witty filmmaking, with a slow-burn intensity that perfectly matches the soundtrack provided by Lucy Dacus. 

Sorry, Baby, Cameo, 14 August, 8.45pm; Filmhouse, 14 August, 9.15pm; Vue, 15 August, 1.15pm.