A Silent Call: Can Anyone Hear Me?

A Film By Ana A P. Braunstein, Country of Origin- United States

Not every father is a warrior, not every son is worthy, silence is not always inaudible and talking about mental health is not crazy these are the few pieces of the puzzle. A short drama tries to put them together towards a happy ending.
A short drama story that deals with some of the most complicated social issues deserves some attention from the audience. The concept tells us about a single lady and her son struggling to get over with the indifference and sudden disappearance of the man in the house. While the son, after a huge struggle, might have opened a few closed doors from his past the alleged father finally wants to communicate. The whole story has a few turning points and some interesting characters were introduced to complement them.
A major part of the film is weaved with sequences based on telephone conversation between different characters. Although some montage shots were used yet the attempt seems insufficient to break the monotony. The film offers an overall slow narrative probably to justify the stuffy situation of the mother and the son. Arguably which seems quite relatable for those who have experienced at least a tinct of a childhood trauma turned depression.
Overall sound quality of the film required a little more attention specifically in the outdoor conversation sequence for one must struggle to get a clear impression out of it without proper subtitles.
The film “A silent call: Can anyone hear me” is all about communication. The concept bears it’s singularity in explaining the value of communication from both positive and negative ways. The use of voiceovers and some expression shots clearly explain the storyteller’s view towards unexpressed feelings. The film however substantiates the fact that, opening up some closed doors right when we need the most can change the course of our entire life.

REVIEWED BY Abhijan Basu (Honorable Jury, INDIA)
WUIFF March-April SESSION 2022

Second Review

A SILENT CALL: As a short film, just 40 minutes, it is a primer on psychoanalysis helping a young man cope with an absent father. The structure has the first part before the letter from the father, and the second part after the letter from the father. So it’s as two-act play. This pacing is difficult to absorb in terms of obstacles that are usually in a second act. The art gallery opening at the end is absent of our lead male actor for some reason. It’s a good attempt. Interiors seemed spare and put together casually. Sound with exterior scene in park was hard to hear and at one point the sound of the wind was loud, picked up by the camera. This may have been made on an iPhone. It’s a worthy effort. Maybe I’m being too much a merchant here.

REVIEWED BY Mathew Tekulsky (Honorable Jury, USA)
WUIFF March-April SESSION 2022