Acclaimed Indonesian director Mouly Surya makes an appearance in the Sundance World Competition selection with
What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love, a romantic drama set in a school for the visually impaired.
At a high school for the visually impaired in Jakarta, Indonesia, the
students are like any other teenagers: they attend classes, pursue
artistic endeavors, and fall in love. The most privileged of the bunch,
Diana, patiently awaits signs of womanhood and humors her mother's
attempts to mold her into the perfect girl. The beautiful Fitri has no
shortage of male attention and enters into a passionate affair with,
unbeknownst to her, a hearing-impaired punk rocker who is masquerading
as a doctor. Meanwhile, Maya, blind since birth, aspires to be an
actress and performer. Regardless of physical barriers, the students
find ways to communicate and collaborate, enabling them to connect--with
each other and to the outside world.
Writer/director Mouly Surya
elegantly employs the language of cinema to evoke the sensory experience
of her protagonists through deliberate silences, languid tracking shots
down corridors, and highly choreographed movement. With gentle humor,
playfulness, and heightened realism, What They Don't Talk About... draws out the poetry in its characters, highlighting the magic in their lives and respecting who they are.
Twitch was pleased to share the first stills from the film a couple weeks back and now we have your first look at the poster and the English subtitled trailer, which you can find below.