Loop 2020

Renee, a non-verbal autistic girl, sits calmly in a canoe and fiddles with a sound app on her phone, letting gentle tones ripple across the water. Marcus arrives late and, as the camp’s counselor pairs him with Renee, a hint of friction appears in his expression. He tries to show off his paddling skills, but Renee isn’t impressed; she tilts the canoe slightly, and the boat begins to rock under his touch. Marcus asks what she wants, and she directs him to paddle toward the shore so she can reach and touch the nearby reeds.

With Renee focused on her phone, Marcus formulates a plan. He guides them toward a tunnel, and Renee hits play, letting the phone’s sounds echo through the narrow space. At first, the music-like reverberations delight her, and the two share a quiet moment of connection. That moment is abruptly interrupted when a speedboat roars past, its wake and noise overwhelming her senses. Panic overtakes the scene as she frantically paddles out of the tunnel; the canoe shudders, then crashes against the waterside. A meltdown follows: the phone is cast into the lake, and Renee hides under the canoe while Marcus watches, baffled and unsure how to respond.

After a tense pause, Marcus retrieves a reed and places it within Renee’s sight near the canoe. He sits nearby, offering a steady presence until the tension eases. Slowly, Renee rises, snatches the reed, and lets out a small, infectious giggle. The two try the sound again, recreating the phone’s ripple together, a shared ritual that begins to restore a sense of calm. They settle back into the canoe and resume their journey toward the camp, the water slowing to a more forgiving ripple around them.

As the recovered phone comes back to life, a notification lights up the screen, and Marcus sends a simple message inviting another canoe ride. The moment hints at a budding, tentative friendship and the possibility of more peaceful outings, as the two navigate not only the water but the beginnings of trust and understanding between them.