The short film «Silence» by Ukrainian director Pavlo Shpehun has won the Airone della Laguna award at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. This year, the organisers presented the international prize for the first time. This was reported by Suspilne Culture.
«Silence» is an intimate psychological story about closeness, loss and the kind of quiet that sometimes speaks louder than words. The film’s main character is Luka, a young stand-up comedian who, after a failed set, meets a mysterious girl in a bar. They quickly hit it off, and she spends the night at Luka’s. They talk about loneliness, pain and their own losses, while trying to keep an emotional distance. But when all the necessary words finally run out, silence sets in.
The leading roles in the film were played by Hryhorii Naumov and Iolanta Bohdiun.
The film was produced by Anna Yatsenko, Volodymyr Yatsenko, Inna Lastochkina and Pavlo Shpehun. The team also included cinematographer Mykhailo Liubarskyi, production designer Vlad Odudenko, editor Yurii Katynskyi, line producer Kyrylo Rybiantsev, sound designer Serhii Stepanskyi, and costume and make-up designer Yevheniia Slobodianyk.
The Airone della Laguna award was established to support a new generation of directors, innovative approaches and new voices in national cinemas. It honours films for the originality of their ideas, innovative storytelling, bold visual language and engagement with contemporary themes.