HJFF: The Art of Silence*

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Brown Auditorium Theater 

Directed by Maurizius Staerkle Drux
Switzerland, Germany, 2022, 81 minutes
Language
German, English, French with English Subtitles
Foreign Language Title
L’Art du Silence
Genre
Documentary

Staerkle Drux’s uplifting and resonant documentary about legendary mime Marcel Marceau intertwines World War II footage, insight into Marceau’s Jewish background and role in the Resistance, interviews with family members, and well-selected excerpts from performances to illustrate the artist’s remarkable ability to convey complex and emotionally rich narratives through gestures. Beyond his mastery on the stage, we see Marceau’s commitment to teach and inspire the next generation of artists, including the director’s own father, an accomplished Swiss mime who was born deaf.

*Festival and Patron Passes are not accepted.