Investigating the Making of Cinematic Silence

Despite extensive research on the notion of silence across a wide range of disciplines (music, philosophy, literature, architecture, theology) little is known about silence in film. The key concerns in the published literature on the topic are the relative nature of cinematic silence and its intrinsic connection to sound. This research will study directorial approaches applied by selected filmmakers in the construction and use of cinematic silence. It will then explore, through the design and production of the creative practice pieces submitted (a short and a feature-length documentary film), the notion of cinematic silence as a strong narrative device that can contribute to the representation of human experience and bring attention to questions related to cinematic language.