Silent Voice

Documentary, 51′, 2020

Production : Dublin Films
Coproduction : Need Productions (Belgium) & Maelstrom Studios (France)

Director : Reka Valerik
Co-writer : Anaïs Llobet

Synopsis :
Khavaj, a young MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighter, fled Chechnya when his brother discovered his homosexuality and promised to kill him, under the persecution of Kadyrov’s regime. In Brussels, facing the shock of exil, he is struck by mutism. The only link that he keeps with Chechnya are the vocal messages that his mother sends him.
The film traces Khavaj’s first months in Belgium. Forced to live in total anonymity to escape the Chechen diaspora, he will try to build a new identity.

Shooting : October – November 2019 (Belgium)

With the support of : Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, CNC (Contribution financière), Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, TV7 Bordeaux and Sabam.

International sales : CAT&Docs

Digital Marketing : Elephant

Instagram

Main Credits :
DOP: Arnaud Alberola
Sound: Hélène Clerc Denizot
Editing: Jeanne Oberson
Sound mix : Aline Gavroy
Director assistant: Sonam Larcin
Coproducers: Anne-Laure Guégan et Géraldine Sprimont
Producer: David Hurst

Festivals :
IDFA 2020 – Competition for Mid-Length Documentary (Netherlands)
ArtDocFest Moscow 2020 (Russia)
ArtDocFest Riga 2021 (Latvia)
FIPADOC 2021 (France) – Official Selection, National Documentary (France)