I’m not sure how easy the dramatic short film A Silent Scream is to watch, but it’s both rare and refreshing to see so much footage of a Latino man sobbing, suffering from heartache, and calling for help. Men’s mental health is already an overlooked topic, and in a culture known for its machismo this sort of vulnerability feels especially brave.
There was a time after my own divorce where I was like the character Oliver in the film: suicidally depressed, and constantly crying and compulsively calling people. I kept calling any friends or family that were available, just trying to get someone on the line I could talk to for a few minutes to keep me going. Just like Oliver says about the phone call with his mother, it wasn’t even about what they actually said to me most of the time, it was about the comfort of hearing their voice.
Some of the things the people in this film say to Oliver are also shockingly close to things people said to me during that time, and I thought the male lead Silvestre Soto did an excellent job sustaining the melancholy for the film’s runtime without it ever feeling too melodramatic or over-the-top. It’s a powerful performance that packs a sucker punch within the context of writer-director Oliver Granillo’s grittily realistic script and poetic voice-overs. There is a scene involving a phone call to Oliver’s brother that provides a brief burst of hope before snapping back to reality where sadness is still omnipresent that feels so true and films seldom depict this. Maybe it’s a downer for some, but for those who have struggled with the same dark thoughts and feelings, and especially men who aren’t supposed to cry, it could potentially be very validating, and that is one of the major goals of this festival.
You can still catch A Silent Scream in the virtual festival for FREE through 11/3: https://watch.eventive.org/mentalfilmness2024/play/67020e1b7520fd00560960a7/66f084c118331a0048c6bb2d
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