What it’s about
Lorna (Dobroshi) is a young Albanian immigrant in a small Belgian town whose marriage to Claudy (Renier), a low-life junky, was arranged by local mobster Fabio (Rongione) to help her gain citizenship. Miserable in the flat she’s forced to share with Claudy, Lorna has been assured that her sham husband will eventually kick off from an overdose, freeing her to reunite with her absent boyfriend. But Fabio has other plans for them both. Meanwhile, Claudy begs Lorna to help him kick his habit…
Why we love it
A gripping drama by the world-renowned Dardenne brothers, Lornas Silence tracks the crisis of conscience Lorna experiences when she begins to see the drug-addicted stranger she lives with and regards spitefully as a human being in dire need. Visually, the directors achieve a rawness and authenticity to match their previous work (LEnfant, Rosetta). With plot surprises around every turn, they lend both suspense and poignancy to Lornas simple quest for happiness in a foreign land. Ultimately, Lornas Silence is a powerful story about ethical choices, the psychological burden of guilt, and the yawning gulf between personal ambition and the purity of selflessness.