“I like to ask the viewer questions rather than give answers”: Agnieszka Woszczynska on Silent Land

Silent Land is the debut feature from director Agnieszka Woszczynska, which builds on some of the themes of her previous short film Fragments. It takes an Italian island as its idyllic holiday setting and follows a seemingly picture-perfect couple in Adam (Dobromir Dymecki) and Anna (Agnieszka Zulewska). But, despite the glorious unerring sunshine, all is far from idyllic as an unexpected event upsets the shallow sheen of perfection on their lives. Thriller-esque tension, deadpan humour and stripped-bare sound design make for a sometimes challenging, but expertly handled exploration into the dark sides of human nature.

The Upcoming had an in-depth chat with the director ahead of the film’s release. Woszczynska shared her unconventional approach to cinematic form and sound design, confounding audience expectations, and how she chose her cast. We also discussed how the film explores moral questions around how we react with passivity to those that need, particularly immigrants to European countries, as well as ideas of masculinity and gender roles.

Sarah Bradbury

Silent Land is released in select UK cinemas on 23^rd September 2022.

Read our review here.

Watch the trailer for Silent Land here: