Silent — production still

Silent

Short Film · 2024 · Horror · 9 min

an AFI Conservatory production

After a young girl kills herself, a group of high school bullies are taken to a Limbo, where they must atone for all the horrible things they did to her.

Cast

  • Sabrina Liu
  • Cece Kelly
  • Honor Stringer
  • Clover Hong

Crew

  • Director Simon Schneider
  • Producer Ruoxiao Li
  • Screenwriter William Dixon
  • Cinematographer Zhihan Zhang
  • Production Designer Yuheng "Nicole" Kuang
  • Costume Designer Natalie Chattergoon
  • Hair & Makeup Coca Zhao
  • Editor Bo Wen

We all justify our behavior to ourselves, even the bad ones. But what if the actions we excuse ourselves for are not forgiven, and we have to directly face the consequences and the pain we have caused others? "Silent" tells the story of Aspen, who was always complicit with the high school bullies to avoid becoming a victim herself. But after the suicide of the bullied victim Lin, she and the rest of the group have to face the pain they caused her. The film tells not only the strong violence of bullying, but also the position of bystanders who support and enable the violent system. I often witnessed immoral situations myself where I didn't speak up or use my power to stop them to protect myself. These immoral, weak decisions fascinate me, and an amped-up revenge-horror movie like this gives emotional access to the unethical side of us.

Silent — Poster

This is an AFI cycle short film produced during the first year of the AFI directing program. Due to AFI policies, these first-year films are not allowed for public distribution; however, you can request a personal viewing link.