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''Silent Heart'' (, Quiet heart) is a 2014 Danish
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
directed by
Bille August Bille August (; born 9 November 1948) is a Danish director, screenwriter, and cinematographer of film and television. August's 1987 film ''Pelle the Conqueror'' won the , Academy Awards, Academy Award and Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe Awar ...
, and starring Ghita Nørby,
Morten Grunwald Walter Morten Grunwald (9 December 1934 – 14 November 2018) was a Danish actor, stage director and theatre manager. Early life and education He was born in Odense, Denmark, attended Odense Theatrical School in 1958, and graduated from the Roy ...
,
Paprika Steen Kirstine "Paprika" Steen (born 3 November 1964) is a Danish actress and director best known for her performances in Dogme 95 films '' Festen'', '' The Idiots'', Mifune, and '' Open Hearts''. Steen was the first Danish actress since Karin Nell ...
, and Jens Albinus. The film was nominated for the 2015 Nordic Council Film Prize.


Plot

A family of three generations gather over a weekend to say goodbye to Esther who suffers from an incurable disease,
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, Terminal illness, terminal neurodegenerative disease, neurodegenerative disorder that results i ...
, and with the help of her husband Poul has chosen to pursue
euthanasia Euthanasia (from : + ) is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different Legality of euthanasia, euthanasia laws. The British House of Lords Select committee (United Kingdom), se ...
when the weekend is over. But as the end approaches, the mother's decision becomes more and more difficult to handle for the daughters Heidi and Sanne, and old conflicts come to the surface.


Cast

* Ghita Nørby as Esther *
Morten Grunwald Walter Morten Grunwald (9 December 1934 – 14 November 2018) was a Danish actor, stage director and theatre manager. Early life and education He was born in Odense, Denmark, attended Odense Theatrical School in 1958, and graduated from the Roy ...
as Poul *
Paprika Steen Kirstine "Paprika" Steen (born 3 November 1964) is a Danish actress and director best known for her performances in Dogme 95 films '' Festen'', '' The Idiots'', Mifune, and '' Open Hearts''. Steen was the first Danish actress since Karin Nell ...
as Heidi * Danica Curcic as Sanne * Jens Albinus as Michael * Pilou Asbæk as Dennis * as Lisbeth * Oskar Sælan Halskov as Jonathan


Themes

The topic of August's film is euthanasia. The film is a family drama about three generations coming together over a weekend to say goodbye to their wife, mother, mother in law, grandmother and friend.


Release

The film premièred 20 September 2014 at the
San Sebastián International Film Festival The San Sebastián International Film Festival ( SSIFF; , ) is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spain, Spanish city of Donostia, Donostia-San Sebastián in September, in the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Countr ...
where it received a 20 minutes
standing ovation A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding, often after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim. Standing ovations are considered to be a special honor. Often they are ...
. It was released theatrically in Denmark 13 November 2014.


Reception

Film critic Morten Piil in ' gave the film 5 out of 6 stars and wrote: "All in all, Silent Heart is Bille August's most complete film since ''
The Best Intentions ''The Best Intentions'' () is a 1991 Swedish Television film, television drama film directed by Bille August and written by Ingmar Bergman. It is semi-autobiographical, telling the story of the complex relationship between Bergman's parents, Er ...
''." Jonathan Holland for ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' wrote positively from
San Sebastián San Sebastián, officially known by the bilingual name Donostia / San Sebastián (, ), is a city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, from the France–Spain border ...
that "After the disappointing '' Night Train to Lisbon'', ''Heart'' signals a return to form for the former Oscar-winner Bille August, who here explores with practised ease and an alertness the emotional truth of the dynamics of an ordinarily neurotic family in an extraordinary situation. Accessible without being easy, and played to perfection by a superbly directed cast, ''Heart'' looks set to beat at festivals and in the European arthouse." Jay Weissberg for ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' on the other hand wrote that "Silent Heart is a standard-issue tearjerker about a dying matriarch gathering her family around on the weekend she plans to off herself. The only surprise is when the script goes from merely stereotyped to spectacularly silly with a late revelation that would feel idiotic even in a farfetched 1940s meller."


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Silent Heart 2014 drama films 2014 films Danish drama films 2010s Danish-language films Films about diseases and disorders Films about suicide Films about euthanasia Films about families Films directed by Bille August Films shot in Denmark Films scored by Annette Focks