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Half Price Small Worlds sessions, Tues-Fri at 14:45

1001 Stories Collection

The Boy Who Stopped Talking

1001 The Boy Who Stopped Talking
Added on 05th October 2020

Director Ben Sombogaart
Screenplay writer Lou Brouwers
First released 1996, Cert PG

Family Identity and fairness Friends
1001

Following his family's move to The Netherlands, Memo refuses to speak to anyone out of protest.

Story

Memo and his family have to leave Turkey for the Netherlands to escape the war. Memo doesn’t want to leave so he stops talking as a protest. He begins to make friends and adjust to his new life when things start to go wrong and his vow of silence is tested.

Why we chose it

A story seen through the eyes of a child who finds the only way he can to protest at the changes in his life.

Where it came from

Although it is based around the wars between the Turkish and Kurdish people in the 1980s and 90s, the film is not openly political. It was written as a family film and focuses mainly on how it affects Memo and his family.

Where it went next

The film was originally in Dutch but has English subtitles and has been dubbed into Spanish. It won several awards at film festivals internationally between 1997 and 1999.

Added on 05th October 2020

Director Ben Sombogaart
Screenplay writer Lou Brouwers
First released 1996, Cert PG

Family Identity and fairness Friends
1001