Jury Prize "Best Narrative Short"
2011 Women in Film Festival
SYNOPSIS:
Near Silence is a moving story about what it means to love and the difficult choices it can force you to make. Roger is a former concert pianist debilitated by the later stages of Huntington’s disease. His loving and devastated wife, Fay, is struggling to find meaning in their existence. Inspired by Huntington’s chorea symptoms (irregular movements that mimic dancing) director Ana de Lara incorporates poetry of motion in this dramatic short film.
DIRECTOR'S NOTE:
Huntington's disease was originally called Huntington's chorea, which means dance or choreography in Greek. The term refers to the involuntary, jerky movements that are comparable to dancing or piano playing, which can develop in the later stages of the disease.
While doing research for my film, the word chorea became the catalyst for my artistic vision. I wanted to depict how the characters are trapped in an incessant and involuntary dance that only ends with death. My aim was not to create a dance performance piece, but rather to integrate elements of dance in a narrative film.
SCREENINGS:
2010 Montreal World Film Festival
2011 Women in Film Festival, Vancouver, BC
2011 Atlantic Dance Festival
2011 CineVic Retrospective Screening, Victoria, BC
PRODUCED with FUNDING and SUPPORT from:
BC ARTS COUNCIL
NFB FILMMAKERS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
CINEVIC SOCIETY OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS
CAST:
TREENA STUBEL - Fay
RODERICK GLANVILLE - Roger
CREW:
ANA DE LARA - Director, Producer, Writer
DANIEL CARRUTHERS - Director of Photography
MATTHEW C. DAVIDSON - Composer
ANNEMARIE CABRI - Choreographer
CHAD GOTTFRIED - Editor
JESSE CATTLE - Art Director
DENVER JACKSON - Visual Effects Artist
PAMELA STRINGER - Co-Producer
ARWEN HUNTER - Co-Producer
ART MESSENGER - Co-Producer
DANIEL HOGG - 1st Assistant Director
LANCE GILSON - Production Coordinator
RANDY CHE - Camera Operator, Steadicam Operator
DANI ZAVICEANU - Steadicam Operator
GEOFF STEVENSON - Sound
ERIN FROESE Hair and Make-up
ANNYE CASTONGUAY - Costumer
MASAYO TAKADA - 1st Camera Assistant
MARINA MILLER - 2nd Camera Assistant
KARL SCHOEPP - Gaffer
NICOLAS WATKINS LENIS - Key Grip, Key Dolly
RORY LAMBERT - Still Photographer
ANDREA SWALLOW - Publicity
JANA GAULT - Assistant Art Director
JAY D. HIBBERT - Hair Assistant
REBECCA DASILVE - Art Department PA
DAVE EMERY - Art Department PA
SALLY ROSS - Art Department PA
GERI STEWART - Huntington’s Disease Consultant
PAULETTE BLAIS - Craft Services
KRISTEN COULTER - Craft Services
TINA KORKI - Office PA
Special Thanks for Generously Providing Locations:
DON & TERESA SARGENT
ISLAND INDUSTRIAL FX
VICTORIA CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
MOIRA WALKER
Special Thanks for Generously Providing Set Decoration Artwork:
JOE GREEN
ERNEST WARNIELIUS
Special Thank You:
GERI STEWART
IRIS
JEREMY LUTTER
RANDY CHE
DANI ZAVICEANU
DANIEL HOGG
MASAYO TAKADA
MARCUS POLLARD
GIUSEPPE BUCCOLIERO
KATHERINE GIOVANDO
BILL CHRISTIE
CONNIE MCCONNEL
CHRIS ORCHARD
MAUREEN BRADLEY
MICHAEL KORICAN
FRED & LINDA BARTULABAC
BARRY SCROGGS
MARK BOROWSKI
KIRSTEN PIERCE
THE RED CROSS
ROBERT SMITH & PRECIOUS METAL
SCHOEPP FILM
HUNTINGTON SOCIETY
CROY & CO STAGE LIGHTING LTD.
AXIS DANCE
