Kein Wort
- Fiction Film
- 87'
- 2023
- Germany, Slovenia
- Basic info
- Galley
- Materials
- Episode
- Cast
- Crew
- Organizations
- Music
- Awards
- Screenings
- Archival footage
- Extended data
- Filming locations
- Trivia
- Contact the editors
Synopsis
Nina leads a structured life, pursuing an ambitious artistic career. When her teenage son Lars has a strange accident at school, she decides to take a break from city life and together they head to their vacation home on the rugged Atlantic coast. Bound in silence, their already brittle relationship is pushed to the edge.
When Nina finds out that her teenage son Lars has been injured in an accident at school, she is faced with a dilemma: Can she leave behind the rehearsals with her orchestra in order to be there completely for him…in a situation that could be a life-changing moment? The decision she makes is a compromise: for five days, she will leave Munich to take Lars on a getaway, to the island in western France where they usually spend their summer vacation — a place full of fond memories and significance to Lars. In winter, however, the island is no vacation paradise, but windy, dark and cold. In the small house on the beach, mother and son are forced to face each other. Thoughts of music haunt Nina, the calls from the mainland worry her. Is she just sabotaging her career, which she has fought so hard for…and for what? Lars withdraws further every day. Misunderstandings multiply, suppositions turn into suspicions: Was Lars a witness to a gruesome crime at school? Did he even participate in it? When a winter storm cuts the last connection to the mainland, a dangerous confrontation ensues.
Director
Director's statement
The film originated from observations in my Berlin neighborhood, there was a newsstand where there were reports of a murdered schoolgirl. I am interested in how violence affects those indirectly affected. Without words, healing is difficult, leading to pathological patterns in society.
Gallery (12)
Cast
Credits order
Alphabetical order
Crew
Writing
Direction
Production
Cinematography
Music
Editing
Production design
Costume design
Make-up
Sound design
Directing department
Production department
Art department
Sound department
Visual effects
Camera department
Lighting department
Grip department
Casting department
Costume department
Hair and Make-up department
Mentoring and Consulting colaboration
Tansportation department
Other
Organizations
production
distribution
support services
miscellaneous
Awards
important awards
We all believe we are good, and our identities are based on that. Hanna Slak builds the mother-son relationship on this premise, skilfully using the power of symbolism. This elevates the narrative to a higher level of expressiveness and demonstrates the talent of a director capable of drawing the audience into the lives of her characters.
With the help of Slovenian co-producers Miha Černec and Jožko Rutar, Hanna Slak has created, in Germany and with German actors, an exquisite intimate drama about a mother and a son, about repressed and unspoken things waiting to resurface.
Tina Lasič Andrejević’s discreet make-up design supports the realistic conception of Not a Word and subtly heightens the characters’ psychological states, helping the actors’ creations come to life in their fullness.
The movie is about mother love, difficulties of generations, of communication, mourning work and finding together in rough surroundings.
Screenings
Extended data
Not a Word (English)
Brez besed (Slovenian) (working title)
Niti besede (Slovenian)
Technical data
Budget
All financial information is obtained from official sources. I.e. producers or organizations which provided the financial support.
Comitee: Aiken Veronika Prosenc, Jernej Kastelec, Igor Godina, Boris Petkovič (alternate)
Comitee: Maja Weiss, Igor Palčič, Goran Vojnović, Simon Tanšek (alternate), Polona Petek (alternate) Explication
Projekt Niti besede je film uveljavljene slovenske režiserke, ki nastaja v nemškem okolju. Scenarij je predloga za psihološko dramo z elementi trilerja o Nini, dirigentki in mami problematičnega dvanajstletnega sina, s katerim preživita dramatičen teden na opustelem otoku s prav tako dramatičnim vremenom. Vzdušje igra že v samem scenariju izredno pomembno vlogo in obstaja nevarnost, da bi slikovita otoška pokrajina in poudarjanje vremenskih razmer zadušili intimnost same zgodbe. Tematika o težavnem razmerju med staršem in odraščajočim otrokom je univerzalna in relevantna in tudi pogosto uprizorjena. Zgradba zgodbe je žanrsko klasična, vendar prepletena s sugestivno psihološko vizualizacijo, ki poudarja napetost pripovedi in stopnjuje dramatičnost. Liki so psihološko utemeljeni, njihova dejanja so smiselno vpletena v filmsko pripoved, dialogi so realistični.
Contact the editors
If you need to get in touch, please use the form below. We will be happy to hear from you.