Lisa Portolan Podcast Film Event __exclusive__ -

Some laugh nervously. One woman cries. A man reaches out — not to shake a hand, but to rest his palm on the armrest between them, open.

Before the film, a podcast plays through the speakers. It’s Lisa Portolan’s voice, soft and direct: “We’ve outsourced intimacy to likes, listens, and algorithms. But when was the last time you sat in the dark next to a stranger and simply… felt their presence?” The film begins. No dialogue. Just close-ups of hands almost touching, breath on glass, people leaning toward each other in trains, in queues, in living rooms — then pulling away. A single recurring shot: a paused podcast screen on a phone, thumb hovering over ‘play’ instead of knocking on a door. lisa portolan podcast film event

Midway, the screen cuts to black. A live prompt appears: Turn to the person beside you. 90 seconds. No phones. No words. Just eye contact. Some laugh nervously

The film resumes. Final scene: two people leaving the cinema, walking side by side. Neither pulls out a phone. This event was based on conversations from Lisa Portolan’s ‘The Intimacy Doctor.’ No devices were used to arrange the after-party. It happened anyway. Would you like this expanded into a full short script or event treatment? Before the film, a podcast plays through the speakers