SILENT TWINS

2022 / 113 min / color

Twin sisters from Wales are the protagonists of Agnieszka Smoczyńska’s English-language debut, which premiered at Cannes. June (emerging star Letitia Wright) and Jennifer (Tamara Lawrance) suddenly stop communicating with the outside world. The “silent twins” escape from the bleak countryside, where black girls are subjected to ongoing humiliation, into an explosion of neon-colored, sun-splashed fantasies of writerly fame, romantic love and pools full of Pepsi-Cola. But there’s a dark side to June and Jennifer’s hormone-fuelled teenage imagination, and their bond has an edge of competitiveness. In order to show the richness of her characters’ inner world, Smoczyńska borrows narrative elements from of variety of genres, including thrillers, musicals and dramas, and weaves them together with spectacular stop-motion animation. Yet she maintains her unique voice, keeping the female point of view front and center. Following the worldwide success of The Lure (2015), this new film, based on investigative reporting by Marjorie Wallace, is another important step in the international career of the Polish director.

• Gdynia PFF – Golden Lions, Best Production Design, Best Music, Independent and Local Cinemas Network Award
• BIFA – Best Joint Lead Performance (Letitia Wright, Tamara Lawrance)