Ukrainian short film Silence wins international award at Venice Film Festival
Silence marks Pavlo Shpehun's directorial debut, produced in collaboration with the Ukrainian production company ForeFilms. With support from the Ukrainian Institute, the film had its world premiere in the Orizzonti Short Films international competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
The Airone della Laguna – International Collateral Award is a new international honor established to support a new generation of directors, innovative filmmaking approaches, and emerging voices in national cinema.
The award recognizes films that stand out for their original ideas, innovative storytelling, bold visual language, and exploration of contemporary issues.
This year, the jury selected the winner from films in the festival's Orizzonti competition section. The short film program featured 13 entries from around the world, including Ukraine's Silence.
The film is an intimate psychological story about closeness, loss, and the silence that can sometimes say more than words.
Its protagonist, Luka, is a young stand-up comedian who meets a mysterious woman in a bar after an unsuccessful performance. They spend the night together discussing loneliness, pain, and their personal losses while trying to maintain an emotional distance. When they finally run out of the words they need to say, silence remains between them.
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23 of October 2026
