Silent House (2022) User Reviews

An Extraordinary documentary

[olivierashton · 10/10 · 15 February 2023]

I feel extremely privileged for having watched this film at the premiere at IDFA.

I haven't stopped thinking about it ever since. It has so many beautiful layers, and it's so emotionally rich. I may dare to say that I have not seen such a brave documentary for a long time. The only images of Iran that were given to the European audience were completely stereotyped and depicted a black and white world, just like the recent documentary that won an award at IDFA, " Radiography of a Family".

But Silent House, as I said, showed the layered images of Iran. An upper-middle-class family that we rarely see. Three generations of an Iranian family inside a hundred-year-old house, from a rich and wealthy grandmother to a grandfather who was ambitious and wanted to pin himself on history to a mother who was a hardworking and revolutionary woman who wanted to change her country. Two uncles, one affected by immigration and the other by war. And two young and talented filmmakers who grew up in this family and are also siblings. Their only weapon to endure the hardships their family has suffered is to record. Recording their good and bad days and their personality changes.

This film is in praise of filming. It is in praise of the lives of Iranian people. People who have been oppressed for years but live honorably. For months now, the sound of their "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement has reached the ears of the world. However, this film was made before these recent movement in Iran, but it can be clearly seen why Iranian women started such a progressive movement, because they are very powerful. And Silent House portrays inspiring, brave women.

I was also very touched by the wonderful speeches the directors gave afterwards in the video they sent since they were under travel ban!

I totally recommend this film to all documentary lovers. Thanks to these young filmmakers from Iran for giving birth to this meaningful work, and for allowing us a look inside of their beautiful family and historical house.

A multidimensional socio-political mirror

[MonaFilm · 10/10 · 26 November 2023]

Silent House by Farnaz and Mohammadreza Jurabchian is a multidimensional socio-political mirror, reflecting Iran within a century. The film brilliantly portrays the cohabitation of tradition and modernity. The narrative starts decades before the 1979 revolution. The grandfather of the filmmakers buys a historically significant house in Tehran, and the story of that house continues to the present day. The film's central themes are modernity versus tradition, patriarchy versus matriarchy, and documenting changes.

The upper-middle-class residents of this family house change, grow old, and constantly adapt to unpredictable life events. Simultaneously, the same things happen to the house in which they reside. Apart from the apparent use of the house as a metaphor for Iran, all the residents of the house, which are three generations of one family, represent different Iranian socio-political views within the confinement of the same land.

After the grandfather's passing, their grandmother moves to the top of the hierarchy. She is the soul of the family that holds them together. As a young bride abruptly taken away from opportunities life had to present her, she symbolizes the traditional communities.

The grandmother's daughter, a young widow and the filmmakers' mother, is a multitalented, educated woman who believes in change. She participates in the revolution for change and a better future; however, she is disappointed with the results. Later, she becomes a candidate for the presidency, translates, starts businesses, and is the head of the household for a while. She controls the house, renovates, and changes some traditional elements of the house while remaining faithful to the essence of it. She represents the open-minded and perhaps persistently optimistic forces in society. She believes in the progress of body and soul, so she opens a bookshop in the house and builds a tennis court in the garden. She allows filmmakers to come to the house to use it as a film location. The film's narrator explains that the film crews would even use the (antique-looking) objects of the house for the films, even showing the actual residents of the house in the background. The mother, who was also a presidential candidate, represents a progressive politician who opens the doors of the house, or symbolically the country, allowing others to come inside, observe, teach, learn, and take what they saw outside the house. However, she eventually loses control when the grandmother appoints one of her sons. He seems conservative, controls the house and puts a stop to its development. He isolates himself in a guest house in the garden. He is in the minority but holds power, as seen in the political arena, constantly talked about on the news that is heard at the house. The other son of the grandmother, who was away from the country, returns after forty years, suffering from severe depression. Quiet, passive, disappointed, and eventually passes away, leaving the grandmother heartbroken. He portrays a significant portion of the society who immigrate but do not feel they belong to either of the two worlds they have lived.

The painful ending of the story of the house is when, after the death of the grandmother, the siblings decide to sell the house, which, by this time, shows signs of neglect and decay. Meanwhile, the mother still acts progressive when saying she loves the house, but if everyone wants to sell it, she will not oppose the decision.

Throughout the entire film, the house, the cameras, and later, the children alongside them are the silent observers. They are affected by changes, and their mission is to narrate the story for the rest of us. Their silence truly speaks volumes.

Very well-made and super exciting

[sanazjourabchian · 10/10 · 5 February 2024]

I recently watched this amazing documentary in Paris. Absolutely loved it. As an Iranian born and raised in France, I totally could relate to everyone inside the house. All the characters and events. Very well-made and super exciting. Cannot stop thinking about that family, and that beautiful house in Tehran. I do recommend it to all Iranians around the world! And not only Iranians but everyone who is interested in paradoxes of history and complexity of human conditions. I believe Silent House makes people to think about it. Well-done Farnaz and Mohammadreza Jurabchian and all the team specially Hayedeh Safiyari.