THE SILENT CHILD - CHRIS OVERTON (2017)

Written by (and starring) Rachel Shenton and directed by (her boyfriend) Chris Overton, The Silent Child is classic Oscar fodder (being a drama featuring a child) and duly won the Academy Award for Best Short Film in 2018. It tells the story of Libby, a deaf 6-year-old girl, who inhabits a silent world (because she has one of the most selfish families in the history of mankind) until a social worker teaches her sign language. It garnered a lot press at the time of its win (compared with other winners), perhaps due to Shenton's previous work on teen soap opera Hollyoaks. It is a solid drama with a great performance from the young Maisie Sly but I admit I have some issues with it - not least the opening scene makes little sense (the social worker is early and yet they still have no time to speak with her). If you like Oscar-winning drama The Silent Child by Chris Overton be sure to rate it and share it.