The Cinematheque

“Silent House packs a dramatic punch that belies its rather innocuous title … [It] feels as cinematic—and theatrical—as any of Asghar Farhadi’s narrative features.”

Lauren Wissot, Modern Times Review

It’s hard to believe that, for brother-sister duo Farnaz Jurabchian and Mohammad Reza Jurabchian, Silent House began some thirty years earlier when the filmmakers’ mother bought them a camera. Growing up in a century-old garden house in Tehran, the siblings developed a shared and balanced artistic perspective. The unique corners of the house provided cinematic angles for capturing everyday life, while its turbulent history became an inspiring tale that prompted them to chronicle it over the years. This house, with its early Pahlavi-era architecture, once belonged to one of Reza Shah’s wives, becoming a silent witness to the family’s experiences amidst national social changes. In Silent House, the home remains the central character until the end, illustrating how every house’s story reflects the eras it has withstood. The film is a beautiful testament to the idea that a home can mirror the passage of time.

In Farsi with English subtitles

Top 20 Audience Favourites (#5)
Hot Docs 2023

“A paean to the art of cinema and a gripping family story.” Kristina Rothstein, DOXA 2023

Post-screening audience discussion moderated by PELAN.