In Farnoosh Samadi and Ali Asgari’s Oscar qualifying short film The Silence, actions speak louder than words as Fatma and her mother learn life-threatening news while visiting the doctor. This Kurdish mother and her daughter found refuge in Italy while escaping turmoil, but barriers of communication in a new country make the deafening silence even more difficult to bear.

Directors Farnoosh Samadi and Ali Asgari are brilliant in their representation of the refugee experience, adequately displaying one of the many trials and tribulations of being a foreigner in a new land. Fatma Alkus is beautifully intense and emotional in her portrayal, and each pause and breath brings you closer to the character creating an overall stunning performance.

The Silence, despite its name, is cinematically loud and vociferous. The film brings the stillness of the doctors’ office with the intensity of a young refugee and her mother, overall sharing a strong social message around issues of healthcare and international relations in times of political discrepancy.

Kelsey Day