A young girl plays peacefully in nature when distant sounds take on a darker meaning in her mind. She runs home to her family, who remain comfortably absorbed in the entertainment on their TV. As they ignore what lies beyond their walls, the girl learns to do the same.

A Day When Nothing Happened explores how empathy is shaped by what we are exposed to, and more importantly, what we are taught to ignore. Outside of a child’s immediate world, there are realities they are aware of but not yet conditioned to dismiss. The film looks at the moment where that natural empathy begins to shift, as she learns to mirror the emotional distance of the adults around her.