The Silence (2010) Das letzte Schweigen (original title)

Director:

Baran bo Odar

Writers:

Baran bo Odar (screenplay)
Jan Costin Wagner (novel)

Release Date:

19 August 2010 (Germany)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

13-year-old Sinikka vanishes on a hot summer night. Her bicycle is found in the exact place where a girl was killed 23 years ago. The dramatic present forces those involved in the original case to face their past. |

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Ulrich Thomsen	...	Peer Sommer
Wotan Wilke Möhring	...	Timo Friedrich
Katrin Saß	...	Elena Lange (as Katrin Sass)
Sebastian Blomberg	...	David Jahn
Burghart Klaußner	...	Krischan Mittich
Karoline Eichhorn	...	Ruth Weghamm
Roeland Wiesnekker	...	Karl Weghamm
Jule Böwe	...	Jana Gläser
Oliver Stokowski	...	Matthias Grimmer
Claudia Michelsen	...	Julia Friedrich
Amon Robert Wendel	...	Malte
Kara McSorley	...	Laura
Anna Lena Klenke	...	Sinikka (as Anna-Lena Klenke)
Helene Luise Doppler	...	Pia (as Helene Doppler)
Eric Bouwer	...	Azubi Polizei
Johann Jürgens	...	Georg
Liane Düsterhöft	...	Nachbarin
Hildegard Schroedter	...	Maria
Hilmar Eichhorn	...	Tobias
Michael Dorn	...	Sascha
Michaela Hanser	...	Margot
Mathias Schullan	...	Vorarbeiter (as Matthias Schullan)
Katrin Hansmeier	...	Krankenschwester
Melina Fabian	...	Marlina
Bruno Suhr	...	Junge auf Schaukel
Victoria Herrmann	...	Talkmasterin
Christof Schneider	...	Taucher
Anja Rybiczka	...	Sprecherin
Britta Nothnage	...	Sprecherin
Ellen Heinle	...	Sprecherin
Jannis Michel	...	Sprecher
Noah Wiechers	...	Sprecher
Robert Levin	...	Sprecher
Yvonne Krause	...	Sprecherin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Johannes Suhm	...	Falk (uncredited)

Directed by
Baran bo Odar

Writing credits
Baran bo Odar		(screenplay)
Jan Costin Wagner		(novel "Das Schweigen")

Produced by
Baran bo Odar	....	co-producer
Christian Cloos	....	commissioning editor: ZDF - Das kleine Fernsehspiel
Frank Evers	....	producer
Jantje Friese	....	producer
Jana Götze	....	junior producer
Doris Hepp	....	commissioning editor: ZDF/arte
Andreas Hörl	....	line producer
Maren Lüthje	....	producer
Florian Schneider	....	producer
Jörg Schulze	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Kamm		(as Pas de Deux)
Kris Steininger		(as Pas de Deux)

Cinematography by
Nikolaus Summerer		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Robert Rzesacz

Casting by
Anja Dihrberg

Production Design by
Christian M. Goldbeck
Yesim Zolan

Set Decoration by
Sabin Enste

Costume Design by
Katharina Ost

Makeup Department
Elke Lebender	....	key makeup artist
Jeannette Latzelsberger	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Jantje Friese	....	production manager
Olaf Kirbach	....	unit manager
Uli Kunz	....	post-production supervisor
Niels Rinke	....	post-production supervisor
Przemek Abraham	....	set manager (uncredited)
Johannes Schuchardt	....	set manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lars Gmehling	....	first assistant director
Jana Swienty	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Daphne Tsaliki	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Stefanie Arndt	....	assistant set decorator
Marie Charlotte Matthaei	....	stand-by props (as Marie-Charlotte Matthäi)
Tina Mursall	....	property master (as Tina Mursal)
James Cowley	....	set/prop builder (uncredited)
Maria Klingner	....	assistant stand-by props (uncredited)
Stephan von Tresckow	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Philipp Bitter	....	sound designer
Johannes Doberenz	....	sound mixer
Tom Korr	....	re-recording mixer
Lutz Lassek	....	boom operator
Stefan Schiminski	....	boom operator
Christoph Ulbich	....	sound designer
Jörg Klinkenberg	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Marcus Sujata	....	foley mixer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Ray Bartsch	....	post-production supervisor: digital intermediate
Thomas Ramin	....	post-production supervisor: digital intermediate
Stefan Ciupek	....	digital intermediate consultant (uncredited)
Thomas Huber	....	digital artist (uncredited)
Natalie Maximova	....	colorist (uncredited)

Stunts
Robert Becker	....	stunt rigger (uncredited)
Volkhard Buff	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Max Brinkschulte	....	second unit assistant camera
Jenny Bräuer	....	second unit camera (as Jennifer Bräuer)
Wolfgang Dell	....	gaffer
Max Knauer	....	first assistant camera
Annika Speidel	....	first assistant camera
Benjamin Treplin	....	steadicam operator
Matthias Wallinger	....	steadicam operator
Konstantin Wolkenstein	....	second assistant camera
Jürgen Bauer	....	electrician (uncredited)
Bastian Ehrl	....	electrician (uncredited)
Raphael Fink	....	best boy (uncredited)
Blair Reid	....	electrician (uncredited)
Ingolf Schmidt	....	electrician (uncredited)
Laura Stelzer	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Markus Thanner	....	dolly grip (uncredited)
Vincent von Tiedemann	....	video operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Johanna Ragwitz	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nadine Marcouillié	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)
Nathalie Strobel	....	dresser (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Natalie Maximova	....	colorist (uncredited)
Jeff Yaworski	....	colorist: dailies (uncredited)

Other crew
Katja Gawrilow	....	production assistant
Jana Götze	....	production coordinator
Herbert Schwarze	....	story editor
Susan Tröger	....	production assistant
Mathias Braun	....	location scout (uncredited)
Roland Gerhardt	....	location scout (uncredited)
Christopher Huck	....	assistant set manager (uncredited)
Norbert Klingner	....	legal counsel (uncredited)
Anne Kodura	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Manuela Mildner	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Jakob Neuhaeusser	....	location manager (uncredited)
Alex Ross	....	script translator (uncredited)
Rich Shakocius	....	script translator (uncredited)
Dorothea Trebs	....	child supervisor (uncredited)
Vincent von Tiedemann	....	location scout (uncredited)
Judith Weiler	....	set runner (uncredited)
Patrick Zehrer	....	location scout (uncredited)

Thanks
Charly Hübner	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Cine Plus
• Lüthje & Schneider Filmproduktion
• Das Kleine Fernsehspiel (ZDF) (in co-production with)
• ARTE (in association with)

Distributors

• DistriB Films (2011) (France) (theatrical)
• Mozinet (2011) (Hungary) (theatrical) (Hungary)
• Music Box Films (2013) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• NFP Marketing & Distribution (2010) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Soda Pictures (2011) (UK) (theatrical)
• Bavaria Film International (2010) (worldwide) (all media)
• Pris Audiovisuais (2012) (Portugal) (all media)
• Warner Home Video (2011) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Deutsche Filmförderfonds (DFFF)  funding
• FilmFernsehFonds Bayern  funding
• Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA)  funding
• Mecon Media Concept  extras payroll
• Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg  funding
• Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM)  funding
• Shotz Picture Vehicles  action vehicles supplier
• Tonstudio Hanse Warns  foley stage

Also Known As:

"Das letzte Schweigen" - Germany (original title)

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | France:12 | UK:15 | Germany:16 | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Cine Plus

Trivia:

Director Baran bo Odar, along with the films cinematographer, watched several westerns before shooting this picture. This was to give the movie more of a western style to it instead of being just another thriller.

One of those arty German films to steer clear of

Oh dear. Germany has produced quite a few films like this. They contain long, long silences, which are meant to be artistic and profound. In fact, the result is often boredom, and perhaps even worse than that, a lack of proper development of the situation, the characters and the plot. It's as if any German (or Swiss, in this case) director worth his or her salt must disdain anything that might smack of conventional, clichéd storytelling. Unfortunately, they just swap them for other clichés and become lethargic in the process. Apparently this film has been compared to the Killing (the Danish TV serial) and I can see some similarities - except that the Danes know how to combine the elegaic with interesting characters and a story that moves.

It's a shame, because there are good actors in here, especially Möhring and Blomberg. The latter might overact a bit, but he is nevertheless compelling to watch.

I can't recommend it.