Silent Love

When her mother dies, 35-year-old Aga moves from Germany back to her parental home in Poland to take care of her teenage brother, Miłosz. She wants to provide a stable home for him, and keeps to herself the fact that she is in a romantic relationship with another woman, Maja. How can Aga tell Miłosz, the product of a deeply conservative Polish culture, that she and Maja are more than each other’s best friends?

Without commentary or interviews, this subtle, award-winning debut film by Marek Kozakiewicz shows how the members of this “new” family engage with each other and the potentially hostile outside world. Aga manages to hold her tongue throughout, except when sharing her concerns with her lover. Meanwhile, we see Miłosz attending school and church in this small, conservative town where xenophobia and traditional male-female roles are manifested in word and deed. The tension is palpable, and we know the truth won’t land well in this strikingly affectionate coming-of-age film.