# Beyond Silence (1996 film)

Beyond Silence (German: Jenseits der Stille) is a 1996 German film directed by Caroline Link. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 70th Academy Awards.

## Plot

The film tells the story of Lara, who grows up as the daughter of deaf parents, Martin and Kai. Lara herself is hearing and is fluent in sign language. Even as a young child, she serves as an interpreter for her parents in many situations, such as credit negotiations at the bank as well as her own parent–teacher conference, although not always completely truthfully.
Lara receives a clarinet for Christmas from Clarissa, her father's sister and an enthusiastic musician. Lara discovers the world of music, where her parents cannot follow her. In the years that follow, she is discovered to be a talented clarinet player. When 18-year-old Lara wants to study at a music conservatory in Berlin, the family seems to break apart. Lara finds love in Berlin with a teacher of deaf children.
After Kai is killed in a bicycle accident, Lara's grieving father feels abandoned. Lara bounces from her family home, to her aunt's, to her uncle's before returning to her childhood home. The ending seems to reconcile it all: Martin tries to understand the love of music that his daughter feels, and the film ends with a cautious reunion between him and Lara.

## Cast

* Sylvie Testud as Lara
* Tatjana Trieb as young Lara
* Howie Seago as Martin
* Emmanuelle Laborit as Kai
* Sibylle Canonica as Clarissa
* Matthias Habich as Gregor (Clarissa's husband)
* Alexandra Bolz as Marie
* Hansa Czypionka as Tom
* Doris Schade as Lilli
* Horst Sachtleben as Robert
* Hubert Mulzer as Mister Gärtner
* Birge Schade as Miss Mertens
* Stephan Kampwirth as Bank Manager

## Reviews

Beyond Silence has an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
* "A successful film debut of a graduate of the Munich Film Academy. The film is a sensible presentation of the problem of the handicapped as well as the universal theme of the self discovery of a young woman and the plea for understanding and openness about seemingly disproportionate experiences." (film-dienst 25/1996)
* "Whoever would like to find out how loud the snow is and how the sounds of a clarinet can enchant people, should not allow themselves to miss this film: a German production which takes up extraordinary themes across the relationship-comedy and tells the story about saying goodbye to one's childhood with gentle humor and an idiosyncratic aesthetic." (Fischer Film Almanach, 1997)
* "A film that allows silence to become music and has found strength in the balance between laughing and crying, happiness and pain. "Jenseits der Stille" is memorable among German productions, and excellently cast. (Dirk Jasper FilmLexikon)
* "Thanks to good casting for all roles and assured acting performances under its direction, this [film is] a successful journey into the world of the deaf, with all its problems of social integration and family conflict." (FBW Langfilme)

## Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 1997 | Bavarian Film Awards | Best Director | Caroline Link | Won |
| 1997 | Bavarian Film Awards | Best Film Score | Niki Reiser | Won |
| 1997 | Chicago International Film Festival | Special Mention | Caroline Link | Won |
| 1997 | Chicago International Film Festival | Best Film | Caroline Link | Nominated |
| 1997 | Deutscher Filmpreis | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role | Sylvie Testud | Won |
| 1997 | Deutscher Filmpreis | Best Editing | Niki Reiser | Won |
| 1997 | Deutscher Filmpreis | Outstanding Feature Film | Caroline Link | Won |
| 1997 | Deutscher Filmpreis | Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role | Emmanuelle Laborit | Nominated |
| 1997 | Deutscher Filmpreis | Best Direction | Caroline Link | Nominated |
| 1997 | Guild of German Art House Cinemas | German Film | Caroline Link | Won |
| 1997 | Palm Springs International Film Festival | Best Foreign Language Film | Caroline Link | Nominated |
| 1997 | Tokyo International Film Festival | Best Screenplay Award | Caroline Link | Won |
| 1997 | Tokyo International Film Festival | Tokyo Grand Prix | Caroline Link | Won |
| 1997 | Vancouver International Film Festival | Most Popular Film | Caroline Link | Won |
| 1997 | Young Artist Award | Best Family Feature - Foreign | Caroline Link | Nominated |
| 1997 | Young Artist Award | Best Performance in a Foreign Film | Tatjana Trieb | Nominated |
| 1998 | Academy Awards | Best Foreign Language Film | Caroline Link | Nominated |
| 1998 | National Board of Review | Top Foreign Films | Caroline Link | Won |