Silent Plan

Synopsis

A groundbreaking new technology offers hope to the deaf: the ability to hear sounds once again. Four young individuals, chosen to be part of this revolutionary step, eagerly await the moment they will finally hear the voices of their loved ones—voices they have been recording for years.

Silent Plan opens with an enigmatic scene, that works as a hook to engage the viewer. It is also a clever solution to introduce one of the characters. In this case, one of the four hearing impaired individuals chosen to test an experimental technology that promises the possibility of hearing again. The character is not in this scene, but his son is. The details of the experiment are explained in the second scene, filmed in the headquarters of the company that has developed this new tool, firstly in a press conference, and then in the office.

The movie then introduces the other three characters who will try the device. The situations are all poorly similar: the married guy, the mother and the single woman are in their homes, accompanied by a loved one, showing that they are anxious to finally be able to hear in three days, as they were promised.

Directed by

Omer Yildirim

Omer Yildirim

Written by

Cast

Mehmet Sah Celik, Elif Cakirtas, Berk Aydin, Merve Ayaz, Muslum Tamer, Emre Ertunc

Omer Yildirim

Following, there is a split screen with these three receiving letters. It would be the best opportunity to show the fourth chosen candidate, the father of the boy of the opening scene. However, he is not in the frame, and this absence causes an obstacle in the next scene, when the four individuals gather around a table in a cafe, complaining about the notice that they have been disqualified from the program. The viewer recognizes three of them, but the fourth one was never seen before in the movie. Surely, it is possible to reckon that the man is the father of the boy, but why create this distraction? It would have been preferable to include one more shot (the man and his son receiving the letter) in the split screen sequence.

On the other hand, the idea of suppressing the sound in the closer shots of the four characters discussing through sign language is important to immerse the viewer in the sensation the hearing-impaired have. The alternation to the general shot of the place, then with the environment sounds, is valid – however, it should be done only once, and focusing more on the conversation between the main characters.

Back to the company’s office, the engineer informs the CEO that there is a technical problem with the new device. He doesn’t reveal what the issue is, which creates an expectation that something serious will happen if the equipment is used. This expectation, however, will lead to great disappointment in the conclusion, as we will show later.

Silent Plan dares to include an action sequence, where the four main characters will invade the office of the device’s company to steal the equipment. It would be preferable to think of an alternative solution than to shoot a flat scene like the one that is in the movie. It certainly can describe what happens, but where is the emotion?

The most serious issue, nevertheless, is the conclusion. Even after rewatching it several times, it is impossible to discover what happened when our heroes tried the device. Did they hear the shots of the security guns? Or were the voices in the recordings all jammed? If so, where is the shocking surprise the viewer was expecting?

Due to these problems, Silent Plan fails to deliver a strong narrative. But, considering the shooting technics, it is adequately filmed. The camera, whether still or moving, is always correctly placed. The assembly of the shots also respects the rules of the cinema grammar. And the use of locations, mainly in the cafe scene, is up to par with greater productions.

As a whole, if only the conclusion were clearer, Silent Plan would be more smoothly watchable.

2025, Turkey, 13 min

Omer Yildirim, Mehmet Sah Celik

Produced by

Eduardo Kaneco

Film critic, the founder of Leitura Filmica