Award-winning film worthy of accolades

Award-winning film worthy of accolades

Stellet Licht (Silent Light). Written and directed by Carlos Reygadas.

A Mexican-French-Dutch co-production, 2007.

REVIEWED BY VIC THIESSEN

Silent Light by Mexican director Carlos Reygadas won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, and was one of the featured highlights of the London Film Festival last month. Residents of the London (England) Mennonite Centre were invited to see the film and we were not disappointed.

From its lingering opening shot of a beautiful sunrise to the extended sunset that closes the film, Silent Light is a slowpaced, thoughtful film that is best appreciated as a work of art. In this case, the work of art is in Low German and concerns the spiritual crisis of Johan, a Mennonite farmer in Mexico (played by Cornelio Wall), who is having an affair.

Johan loves his wife Esther (played by Winnipegger Miriam Toews, author of A Complicated Kindness), but wonders if he married the right woman, for he has fallen in love with Marianne (played by Maria Pankratz), who he believes to be his true soulmate. Johan is convinced that God has led him to this woman, but his father, the local pastor (played by Wall's real father, Peter), tells him kindly that the devil is at work. Johan is clearly not at peace and the film chronicles his struggle to come to terms with his infidelity.

Although there is minimal dialogue in the film, we learn quickly that there is little hope of resolving this crisis without great pain for all involved. But as a Mennonite in a close-knit religious community, Johan has unique assets to work with, including his ability to share his dilemma with others, even his wife.

In the last 45 minutes, the film takes some unexpected turns that highlight how much Reygadas sees this as a grand human story that goes to the heart of issues like love and death and forgiveness, and the role of spirituality in all of them. There is no mention of Mennonites or Mexico in the film because Reygadas wants the film to apply to all times and places.

Mirroring what Reygadas perceives as the slow pace of life in the Mennonite community, some of the scenes in Silent Light are excruciatingly slow. But the slow pace, combined with the gorgeous cinematography and brilliant sound, gave me the feeling that I was participating in the life of a typical Mexican Mennonite community. This is one of the reasons Silent Light will be particularly appealing to Mennonites-the language, dress and behaviour will be immediately recognizable to most, whereas other viewers may never know who these people are or where they live.

Silent Light will not appeal to all Mennonites, however. While the subject matter is very tastefully handled-with only a brief non-graphic sex scene and no nudity-there are some who will find it too real and too difficult to watch Others, especially those who are not used to European art house cinema, will be discouraged by the slow pace of the film.

But for most Mennonites, I would recommend Silent Light without the slightest reservation.

Silent Light is to be released in Quebec theatres next spring. Information about a cross-Canada release date was unavailable at press time.

[Author Affiliation]

Vic Thiessen is director of the London (England) Mennonite Centre. Earlier this year he interviewed the film's director; see "Low German film wins Cannes festival award? July 30, 2007, page 13.