Beyond Silence [DVD]

Good movie. Would like to have an English version but reading the Subtitles wasn’t too difficult to follow. Enjoyed the movie!

I like this movie a lot. I saw it more than ten years ago, and then after re-watching it recently, I was pleased to be reminded how entertaining and beautiful it was. My favorite part is the first hour. Tatjana Trieb as the young Lara is magnificent. The way she describes sounds to her deaf parents, interprets on their behalf; her chemistry with the other actors and fit in the family are so natural, so perfect. She has charisma galore, and it is a shame she isn't in more films. She is one of the best child actors I've ever seen. Story of Lara, who plays the clarinet, which serves to separate her from her father, who is deaf. Her father, Martin, is afraid of losing her. Martin feels like an outsider from his hearing family, does not understand how his whole family caters to him, and he is especially jealous of his sister, Clarissa, who plays the clarinet. Clarissa is very unhappy, does not love her husband, seems to covet what her brother Martin has and feels marginalized by her family. There is the lovely Kai, played by Emmanuelle Laborit, who is Lara's mother, who is friendly and matter-of-fact about her deafness, encouraging her daughter to succeed, going so far as to laugh at her younger daughter, Marie friend's screams to prove her deafness, and encouraging Lara to play the clarinet, even buying her concert tickets to understand. I empathized with Martin's frustration and fear; Clarissa's own unhappiness, Clarissa's husband's sadness, but I really disliked the older Lara. My first complaint of the film was Sylvie Testud; she just didn't seem to fit, and perhaps if Tatjana Trieb wasn't so superb as the young Lara, I wouldn't have a complaint, but Sylvie Testud was so drab. I also disliked the melodramatic exchange between Lara and her father at the end. But the first hour is marvelous, really stellar.

The story is heartwarming and inspiring. It is the portrayal of a family in which the parents are deaf and do not speak but the children have no impairment. What I love about the film is its depiction of the family dynamics in a context where communication is different but the emotional story is essentially that of us all. It is tender and sometime humorous and sometimes heartbreaking.Anyone considering it should be aware that it is in German with English subtitles. Though I am not especially fond of subtitles while trying to follow a movie, in "Beyond Silence" I found them to be relatively simple and unobtrusive.

I enjoyed the film when I saw it in German. That was years ago, so it is with some hesitancy that I write the following: I think some scenes (such as one where the female lead places an insect on her lover's chest) were cut from the film for US release. I cannot be sure because I do not have a German release with which to compare the films. If anyone can say more, please say so in comments to this review--especially if I'm remembering a different film!

I love the movie. I thought it was well written, easy to understand and easy to write a report about. The actress and actor performed well. I learned alot about the subject, the reason I bought the movie.If some one want to know about a hearing child with deaf parents, this should be their first choice for information. I was impressed with the contents of the movie and in the order in which it was shown.Great movie,even if I didn't have to write a report on that subject, I still would have enjoyed the movie.

I bought this movie for my daughter because it was on her Christmas list. She is an interpreter and enjoyed the movie very much but was surprised that it was in German and the signing was in German, of course she could follow the English subtitles, I think there should be reference to it being in German in the Amazon ad/description.

This is a phenomenal movie. Subtitled but easy to watch and understand. Provides a unique perspective on Deaf culture (from the non-deaf hearing daughter. Shows the subtleties in relationships between Deaf people, sign language, families and identity. May not be suitable for high schoolers as there is one semi-suggestive scene.

Good story line and the English subtitles were fine and did not distract from the movie. The movie, however, had a lot of dark lighting in various scenes that should have been given more or better camera lighting.

Very pleased with everything

wunderbar

Liked it!

Die Stimmung, die dieser Film schafft, ist wunderbar. Eine gelungene Mischung aus Melancholie, jugendlicher Aufbruchsstimmung und dem Suchen nach der eigenen Identität.Ein Film der hörenden Menschen einen kleinen Einblick in die Welt von Gehörlosen und CODAs (Children of deaf adults) gibt und auf undramatische und doch eindringliche Weise deutlich macht, dass wir Hörenden in einer ganz anderen Welt leben als Gehörlose. Außerdem zeigt er auf unaufgeregte Art und Weise, dass wir Hörenden sehr ausgrenzende Verhaltensweisen an den Tag legen. Nicht aus Bosheit, sondern meistens einfach aus Unwissenheit. Um meine Unwissenheit, wenigstens teilweise, zu verringern, habe ich mich entschlossen einen Gebärdensprachenkurs zu besuchen. Für mich war dieser Film einer der Gründe dafür.

Mit einer unglaublichen Feinfühligkeit und Leichtigkeit geht dieser Film an ein recht schwierige Thema heran.Das hörende Kind gehörloser Eltern entdeckt die Musik für sich, als es von seiner Tante eine Klarinette geschenkt bekommt. Mit wunderbaren Klängen wird die Musik im Herzen des Mädchens (Lara) immer größer, bis es sich entschließt tatsächlich Musikerin zu werden. Das bleibt nicht ohne Konflikte mit dem Vater, da durch die Musik die Kluft zwischen der Tochter und den Eltern immer größer wird. Die Musik wird Auslöser eines Generationenkonflikts und eines Problems, das schon lange unter der Oberfläche gebrodelt hat. Der Keil zwischen Lara und ihrem Vater scheint immer größer zu werden, bis die Mutter bei einem tragischen Unfall ums Leben kommt.Tatsächlich kommt der Film ohne Klischees, Kitsch und Übersentimentalität aus. Er denunziert weder die eine, noch die andere Gruppe. Stattdessen ist er gespickt mit Poetik und Sensibilität.Zudem rutscht der Film trotz Konflikt zwischen Vater und Tochter nie ins Überdramatische hinein. Man hat immer die Möglichkeit mit den Charakteren mitzufühlen und ihre Standpunkte zu verstehen. Außerdem wird die Handlung oft von einer mitreißenden Leichtigkeit und einem hoffnungsvollen Frohsinn mitgetragen.Außerdem ist Lara kein stilles Mäuschen, sonder selbstbewusst und sicher zu ihrem Weg stehend.Die musikalische Untermalung ist atemberaubend schön. Die Klarinettenstücke schwanken zwischen Fröhlichkeit und Melancholie und stehen parallel zum Geschehen.Fazit: Dass es sich hier nicht um ein Blockbusterkino mit überschäumender Dramatik und hochspannungsgeladener Stimmung handelt, dürfte wohl klar sein. Das alles braucht der Film auch gar nicht um sich in die Herzen des Zusehers zu spielen.