Golden Globe Nominated Film Raises Awareness of Misophonia

Tár, a 2022 film starring Cate Blanchett, has recently been making waves. The psychological drama saw a Golden Globes win for Blanchett this January (Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama), and was nominated for Best Motion Picture (Drama), but it has also brought to the fore a lesser-known condition called misophonia.

In Tár, Blanchette’s character, a composer / conductor, suffers from misophonia, a condition where a person has a severe sensitivity to specific soft sounds and visual images.  This could be anything from the sound of someone chewing, to tapping their fingers on a table. When a person hears the sounds, they have a very strong emotional reaction such as hate, anger, anxiety, resentment and physiological distress.  People who suffer with misophonia often report that they feel the person is intentionally making the sound, even though when they are calm and away from the sound, they usually acknowledge that wasn’t the case.

Misophonia is not a sensitivity to the volume of sound, but an emotional and physiological reaction to specific sounds.  And what’s more, thousands of people will suffer from this, but be unaware that it has a name - or that there is help out there.

For more information on misophonia, read our article here.

Whilst treatments such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or hypnotherapy can help identify root causes of the condition, a small in-ear device from UK innovators, Flare Audio, can provide immediate relief from the sounds that cause distress.

Calmer is a small silicone ear bud that works by cleverly channelling sound directly into the ear, reducing distortion and frequencies that can get people on edge and trigger their flight or fight response. This takes the ‘sharpness’ off sound and can help ‘calm’ the wearers environment. Misophonia sufferers around the globe have been reporting relief from wearing Calmer, many in life changing ways.

Click here to read some of our community’s sound sensitivities stories.

“Misophonia effects hundreds of thousands of people to varying degrees, with many not even knowing they have it – just that some sounds get them on edge,” explains Flare Audio Co-Founder, Naomi Roberts. “Over the past three years, since we developed Calmer, we’ve talked to hundreds of people who suffer daily with the sounds around us. This recent film highlights the condition and may help others diagnose their own sensitivities.  It much more common than people may realise.” 

Tár is a 2022 psychological drama film written and directed by Todd Field and starring Cate Blanchett. The film charts the downfall of fictional composer and conductor Lydia Tár. The supporting cast includes Nina Hoss, Noémie Merlant, Sophie Kauer, Julian Glover, Allan Corduner, and Mark Strong.