''Silent Heart'' ( da, Stille hjerte, 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. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
directed by
Bille August
Bille August (born 9 November 1948) is a Danish director, screenwriter, and cinematographer of film and television. In a career spanning over four decades, he has been the recipient of numerous accolades, making him one of the most acclaimed co ...
, and starring
Ghita Nørby
Ghita Nørby (born 11 January 1935) is a Danish actress with 117 film credits to her name from 1956 to 2005, making her one of the most active Danish actresses ever.
Early life
Nørby was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, the daughter of opera singer ...
,
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 Roya ...
,
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 Nellemose ...
, and
Jens Albinus
Jens Albinus (born 3 January 1965 in Bogense) is a Danish actor and director.''Usikker på indersiden. Interview: Jens Albinus'' Jyllands-Posten, 16 December 2005, Must, Side 28
Selected filmography
* ''Anton'' (1996) – as Lærer, a teacher
...
. The film was nominated for the 2015
Nordic Council Film Prize
The Nordic Council Film Prize is an annual film prize administered by the Nordic Council. The Nordisk Film & TV Fond is the funding body that administers the prize.
History
The first award was handed out in 2002 to celebrate the Nordic Council's 5 ...
.
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 Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most comm ...
, and with the help of her husband Poul has chosen to pursue
euthanasia
Euthanasia (from el, εὐθανασία 'good death': εὖ, ''eu'' 'well, good' + θάνατος, ''thanatos'' 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering.
Different countries have different eut ...
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
Ghita Nørby (born 11 January 1935) is a Danish actress with 117 film credits to her name from 1956 to 2005, making her one of the most active Danish actresses ever.
Early life
Nørby was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, the daughter of opera singer ...
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 Roya ...
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 Nellemose ...
as Heidi
*
Danica Curcic
Danica Curcic ( sr-cyrl, Даница Ћурчић, sr-latn, Danica Ćurčić) is a Serbs, Serbian-Danes, Danish actress.
Biography
Curcic was born in Belgrade. At the age of one, she moved to Copenhagen with her family where her father work ...
as Sanne
*
Jens Albinus
Jens Albinus (born 3 January 1965 in Bogense) is a Danish actor and director.''Usikker på indersiden. Interview: Jens Albinus'' Jyllands-Posten, 16 December 2005, Must, Side 28
Selected filmography
* ''Anton'' (1996) – as Lærer, a teacher
...
as Michael
*
Pilou Asbæk
Johan Philip "Pilou" Asbæk (; born 2 March 1982) is a Danish actor. He is known for his role as troubled spin doctor Kasper Juul in the Danish television political drama '' Borgen'', and as Euron Greyjoy in the television series ''Game of Thro ...
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; es, Festival Internacional de San Sebastián, eu, Donostia Zinemaldia) is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of Donostia-San Sebastián in September, in th ...
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 after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim. In Ancient Rome returning military commanders (such as Marcus Licinius Crassus a ...
. It was released theatrically in Denmark 13 November 2014.
Reception
Film critic
Morten Piil
Morten Piil (1 March 1943 – 22 March 2018) was a Danish writer and film critic. He received a Bodil Honorary Award in 2002 for his "long-standing contribution to Danish film literature".
Piil was a film critic at ''Berlingske Tidende'' 1962- ...
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'' ( sv, Den goda viljan) is a 1992 Swedish 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, Erik Bergm ...
''." 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 Sebastian, officially known as Donostia–San Sebastián (names in both local languages: ''Donostia'' () and ''San Sebastián'' ()) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the Basque Country (autonomous community), B ...
that "After the disappointing ''
Night Train to Lisbon
''Night Train to Lisbon'' is a philosophical novel by Swiss writer Pascal Mercier. It recounts the travels of Swiss Classics instructor Raimund Gregorius as he explores the life of Amadeu de Prado, a Portuguese doctor, during António de Olive ...
'', ''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
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*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Silent Heart
2014 drama films
2014 films
Danish drama films
2010s Danish-language films
Films about diseases
Films about suicide
Films about euthanasia
Films about families
Films directed by Bille August
Films shot in Denmark