Having picked up an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, Beyond Silence has finally got a British distributor. It charts the experiences of Lara (Tatjana Trieb), a girl raised by her deaf parents in a German town.
As a young child, Lara has to act as her parents' ears, a power she exploits to her own advantage. But when the vivacious Aunt Clarissa (Sybille Canonica) presents her with a clarinet, she proves a talented player and discovers a new musical universe. However, her parents are scared that this gift will take Lara (played as a teen by Sylvie Testud) away from them forever.
Although marred by some narrative contrivances and a sentimental resolution, it carefully explores absorbing themes about emotional dependency, sibling rivalry and the difficulties of escaping your past.
