Synopsis:

In the hauntingly enigmatic and dialogue-free short film, ‘Screaming Silence’, Elizabeth, a young woman in the aftermath of a traumatic event, navigates her world through a haunting soundscape of everyday noises, which ‘peoples’ her world and forces her to face her reality of circumstances and her fear of reaching out for help. As the audience intimately experiences her journey, Elizabeth’s silence becomes a bittersweet force, echoing the profound emotional depth that empowers her to move forward in an altruistic twist of an ending.

Project Links

•  Website

Review by Victoria Angelique:

The film, SCREAMING SILENCE, captures the pain and complex emotions a woman goes through when dealing with tragic circumstances. Elizabeth has secluded herself, ignoring the calls from her mother as she deals with whatever happened to bring her to this point. There are some clues that suggest she was either dumped or worse, sexually assaulted. 

Elizabeth is having trouble focusing, her world surreal as she comes to terms with her pregnancy and how she is being forced to deal with this alone as she retreats inside her own mind. Her emotions are a rollercoaster. She goes from terrified and miserable to finally accepting the pregnancy only for the misery to come flying back when she miscarries. The sorrow is short lived as relief sets in, proving that a woman’s emotions are complex.

Long, focused shots set the tone of the film as they depict Elizabeth’s emotional state. It takes a lot for her to do simple tasks such as making tea or even bathing. It’s draining as she forces herself to complete simple chores. The natural sounds aid the uncomfortable tension as she suffers in silence. It’s only after her miscarriage that Elizabeth is able to reach out to her mother and exit her home. She’s finally able to reenter life. 

SCREAMING SILENCE goes through a whirlwind of emotion. It’s a visual essay that shows the world of Elizabeth is complex and there is not a simple solution to end her suffering. Sometimes it is better to get away to think and other times it’s better to scream. This film shows that women often feel forced to deal with events alone, just to find peace in the circumstances of her life.