The Silent Child revolves around the efforts of a kindly, dedicated social worker (Rachel Shenton, who also wrote the film) attempting to teach sign language to a deaf four-year-old girl (Maisie Sly) as she prepares to start school.
Beautifully shot and scored, it's the strength of the writing and Shelton's deeply compassionate performance that really makes this one soar (Shenton's own father became deaf in his later years, so it's clearly a deeply personal project for her).
As a terrifying look at the isolating potential of deafness and a sad examination of negligent parenting - the child's mother (Rachel Fielding) staunchly opposes the sign language approach. It does a fantastic job getting the audience wholly invested in such a short time, cemented by a devastating final sequence that might leave you wiping away tears.
Beautifully shot and scored, it's the strength of the writing and Shelton's deeply compassionate performance that really makes this one soar (Shenton's own father became deaf in his later years, so it's clearly a deeply personal project for her).
As a terrifying look at the isolating potential of deafness and a sad examination of negligent parenting - the child's mother (Rachel Fielding) staunchly opposes the sign language approach. It does a fantastic job getting the audience wholly invested in such a short time, cemented by a devastating final sequence that might leave you wiping away tears.