SILENCED

Written by

Nathan Do

Nathan Do © Copyright 2022 Contact Information

Email: nathan59031@gmail.com
Instagram: @nathndo
In the dark, we hear a short melody playing from a PIANO--

CUT TO:

1. INT. MUSIC ROOM, STAGE - NIGHT

CHARLOTTE (20) is on the piano. We begin to drift out of

reality: the surroundings go dimmer and the atmosphere of the
music room fades out. Only Charlotte is illuminated by a
stream of light.

The movement of her fingers on the instrument begins to

fasten in pace and the sounds build up into a crescendo. Then
- a perfect cadence - followed by the roaring sound of the
audience. She executes an ideal performance.

Reality returns and she stands to give a bow. We see

Charlotte's smile dissipate with the clatter of the crowd.

There's a ___________
slight buzz in Charlotte's ears.

2. INT. HOME, CHARLOTTE'S ROOM - MORNING

On the shelves are trophies of the virtuoso. They are

suffocating for space on the wooden structure. We see
certificates stuck to the walls with blu-tack adjacent to a
portrait of a pianist, Clara Schumann.

We see Charlotte, alone in her room, deciphering music notes

and practising on a keyboard piano. _____________________
Every slight sound is
distinctively clear: the fabric of her clothes moving, the
____________________
scribbling of pen on paper and the movement of her hands.
Frustration builds as she repeatedly plays discordant notes.
We linger around her blank stare.

LARUA (44), enters from behind. Her demeanour is that of a

mother. Short, fair skin like Charlotte's, a head of hair
that is wavy, black and with streaks of grey. She places a
plate of breakfast on the flat surface of Charlotte's
keyboard.

[*Note: All Auslan Sign Language dialogue in brackets]

LAURA
[Enjoy your meal!]

Laura cups Charlotte's face and turns her so that she is

facing her. Laura's facial expressions are commanding
responses.

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 2.

CHARLOTTE
(Reluctantly)
[Thank you, Mum.]

As Laura leaves the room, Charlotte continues to practice the

notes. Her food is starting to cool.

Then--

A ringing noise erupts from Charlotte's ears. She winces -

it's much louder this time. We hear a moment of complete
silence, but the abrupt noise gradually fades and her hearing
returns.

She plays the short melody on the piano. The quiet chirping
of birds can be heard from a distance.

3. INT. HOME, KITCHEN - MORNING

A soft lighting adorns the suburban kitchen.

We see Charlotte preparing a smoothie - following a recipe

she had discovered online. She slices a banana, peels an
orange and washes the strawberries. Every action is as if it
were part of a performance - quick, meticulous and delicate.

But, there's no sound when Charlotte opens the tap. We see

her pause as she studies the silence. In an attempt to ignore
it, she turns off the tap and continues making her smoothie.

When Charlotte is finished, a loud _________

but blunt noise spouts
from the blender as she turns it on.

4. EXT. SUBURBAN NEIGHBOURHOOD, STREET - AFTERNOON

Walking home, we see Charlotte wearing her headphones. The

classical music is soft. We see her increase the volume on
her device - it is far louder than it should be.

5. INT. HOME, CHARLOTTE'S ROOM - MORNING

We see Charlotte approach the piano and play the melody

again. The sound is softer; the higher frequency sounds are
completely stripped.

6. EXT. SUBURBAN NEIGHBOURHOOD, STREET - AFTERNOON

The camera focuses on Charlotte, resting against a wall along

the side walk. The world around her appears to be getting
blurry and somewhat isolating.

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 3.

Bombarding Charlotte are muffled sounds of traffic, laughter

and conversation. We see her dissociate.

FRIEND #1 (O.S.)
(Muffled)
Char? Char?
(Unmuffled)
Char?

Charlotte shifts her gaze and she forces a smile of

recognition. Her friend watches, concerned.

FRIEND #1 (CONT'D)
You just sorta spaced out. Are you
okay?

CHARLOTTE
(Half-laughing)
Yea-Yeah. I'm fine.

7. INT. HOME, CHARLOTTE'S ROOM - NIGHT

Charlotte retreats to a corner of her bedroom, opens a laptop

and googles her symptoms. Her finger pauses above the enter
key, almost denying that her hearing loss was ever there.

A silent countdown:

Three...

Two...

One...

She finally presses.

Charlotte follows an endless thread of videos, blog posts and

articles. We see her try to make sense of this new life.

As she scrolls, many of the stand-out words are the same:

- Symptoms of hearing loss

- Presbycusis

- How to cope

We see tears well in Charlotte's eyes. She shuts her laptop.

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 4.

8. INT. AUDIOLOGIST'S OFFICE, WAITING ROOM - MORNING

Sitting anxiously in the waiting room, Charlotte twiddles her

thumbs. Her eyes look empty. She cannot accept the truth. We
see a receptionist with a clipboard approach Charlotte. The
receptionist's dialogue is indistinguishable. Charlotte
stands.

9. INT. AUDIOLOGIST'S OFFICE - MORNING

Wearing wired headphones, Charlotte is confined in a small

room with a white background. The room feels clinical.
Opposite her, through the window, would be a doctor speaking
through a microphone. We focus on her agitated face as she
tries to decipher the sounds.

AUDIOLOGIST (O.S.)
Charlotte. Can you hear me?

The doctor's voice is tiny and distant. Charlotte nods.

AUDIOLOGIST (O.S.) (CONT'D)

Repeat after me--

CUT TO BLACK:

Then--

CUT TO:

10. INT. HOME, CHARLOTTE'S ROOM - NIGHT

The silence is deafening. Charlotte hesitates before playing

the melody on the piano. There is no sound.

We see Charlotte's face surrender into the palms of her

hands. She weeps in the silence.

Suddenly, Laura enters from behind and wraps her in a soft

hug. A shift in perspective: sound returns.

Laura gently pulls back.

LAURA
[Are you okay?]

Charlotte ponders the question.

CHARLOTTE
[Don't know.]

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 5.

LAURA
[Do you want to talk?]

Laura waits for a response -- but there is none. After a

moment, she reaches for Charlotte's hand and places it on
Charlotte's chest

With her free hand, she starts to click and mirror the beats
of her heart. Their heads begin to bob to the rhythm in
perfect unison. It's an intimate and heartfelt scene.
Charlotte manages to bring out a smile.

Gradually, the two heads come to a rest.

Laura places a hand on the piano. Clearly, she wants

Charlotte to play. We come closer to Charlotte's face as she
closes her eyes - the silence returns as we enter her
mindscape. She carefully places a finger on the instrument
and presses.

We see her play, _____________________________________

mirroring exactly like she would in a
performance. The two appear to be the only figures
____________
illuminated by the light. It is as if they're in their own
little world. Laura watches in awe.

CUT TO BLACK--

ON SCREEN:

Let your deafness no longer be a

secret - even in art

- Ludwig Van Beethoven

THE END

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