Synopsis
Every family has secrets, but very few ever get to the heart of what they are. Silent Music is the story of one daughter’s attempt to do just that.
While everything seems perfect, appearances are deceiving in the Gomez family: Kenneth and Teresa’s profound deafness isolates them. There is also a communication breakdown in the family that prevents everyone from having genuine relationships with each other. Kenneth is suspiciously secretive. Teresa is incredibly lonely. Virtually everyone in this family hides from the truth.
It is Melissa, the youngest of three hearing children, who investigates her family, exploring difficult subjects never before discussed. Uncomfortable confrontations leave Melissa desperate to know more. The dark secret she eventually discovers unravels everything for Melissa, causing her to question the reason she began this investigation in the first place.
Ultimately, Melissa is forced to answer a difficult question herself: ‘Are some secrets best left hidden?’
Director's Statement
Ever since I have known myself I have felt compelled to tell the story that has become Silent Music. It took me a little while to realize that the power of my deaf family's story lay not in how different my parents’ deafness makes us, but rather in how similar we are to everyone else. We too have communication issues and stories of personal sacrifice that have never been discussed. But there is also a huge amount of love that holds us together. In Silent Music, I aim to gain a deeper understanding of who my family is beyond their deafness and the resulting film is something that has both surprised and moved me. I hope that in sharing this very personal story – one that I feel very blessed to be able to tell - others will be encouraged to seek more openness and honesty within their own families. Chances are, you will be inspired by what you find!
- Melissa Gomez, Writer / Producer / Director of Silent Music
Production Info
Runtime: 70 minutes
Format: DV, NTSC, 4:3
Filmed & Directed by: Melissa A. Gomez
Written & Produced by: Melissa A. Gomez & Jay Prychidny
Producer: Lianna Walden
Co-Producer: Clement Kwong
Editor: Jay Prychidny
Additional Camera & Assistant Editor: Christopher F. Hodge
Original Music Composition: Andrea Caro
Post Audio, Sound Design & Mix: Quaison Nangle