Enchanted by the music and street sounds of post-Soviet Dushanbe, ten-year-old Khorshid—who is blind—is late for work every day as he immerses himself in the city’s sensory world. Thanks to his extraordinary sense of hearing, the boy works as a musical instrument tuner, but his constant tardiness could cost him the job on which his entire family’s well-being depends.

Although the film is set in Tajikistan, its roots lie in director Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s childhood memories. The story became a poetic exploration of his own experience of interaction—specifically, the ban on listening to music in the director’s family due to religious beliefs.

Filmed during a creative shift in Makhmalbaf’s career—from direct political commentary to cinematic poetry—“Silence” explores the world through sound, rhythm, and musical associations, transforming urban space into a complex soundscape. In the film, audiovisual magic is created not to achieve surrealism, but to expand the boundaries of sensory realism.

Honored with a special award at the 1998 Venice Film Festival, *Silence* remains one of Mahmalbaf’s most unusual and poetic films.

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