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Sound of Silence: Cannes Winner Explores Trauma Across Decades

1/14/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The film Sound of Silence, directed by Mascha Schilinski, won Cannes Jury Prize and is Germany's submission for the international feature Oscar; it opens in U.S. theaters Friday.
It draws on untold stories from a German farmstead and a 1910s account of forced sterilization, weaving girls’ tales across decades.
The narratives span the 1910s, World War II, the 1980s in East Germany, and the 2020s, exploring trauma and resilience.

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Story summary

The film Sound of Silence, directed by Mascha Schilinski, won Cannes Jury Prize and is Germany's submission for the international feature Oscar; it opens in U.S. theaters Friday.
It draws on untold stories from a German farmstead and a 1910s account of forced sterilization, weaving girls’ tales across decades.
The narratives span the 1910s, World War II, the 1980s in East Germany, and the 2020s, exploring trauma and resilience.