La casa muda
Encyclopedia
The Silent House is a Uruguayan Spanish-language horror film released in 2010 and directed by Gustavo Hernández. The film is inspired by real events that took place in the 1940s. A small-budget film originally intended for local audiences, it has achieved success in several important international film festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival
(where it was shown at Director's Fortnight). At the 2011 Sundance Film Festival
, Chris Kentis and Laura Lau presented an English-language remake entitled Silent House, starring Elizabeth Olsen
.
, and it has been billed as the first ever single-take horror film, though this claim is the subject of some dispute. With a budget of just six thousand dollars, it was filmed using a handheld high-definition digital single-lens reflex camera (the Canon EOS 5D Mark II) over a period of just four days. It is the first Latin-American feature film and the second film in the world to be shot entirely with a professional photo camera.
on 16 May 2010, a Director's Fortnight selection. That summer and fall it was screened on the festival circuit at the Melbourne International Film Festival
, Sitges Film Festival, and the Stockholm International Film Festival
. Its first theatrical release began on 27 January 2011 in Argentina, followed by a 4 March release in Uruguay, where it was produced. It received mixed reviews after its 8 April 2011 release in the UK, with critics generally praising the director's technical achievements, but finding the overall story-line unimpressive. Peter Bradshaw
of The Guardian
praised the film, writing: "This is a smart, scary film and a technical tour de force with its own skin-crawling atmosphere of fear."
The film has been selected as the Uruguayan entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
at the 84th Academy Awards
.
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
(where it was shown at Director's Fortnight). At the 2011 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
, Chris Kentis and Laura Lau presented an English-language remake entitled Silent House, starring Elizabeth Olsen
Elizabeth Olsen
Elizabeth Chase Olsen is an American actress and is the younger sister of Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, and Trent Olsen...
.
Plot
Laura (Florencia Colucci) and her father Wilson (Gustavo Alonso) arrive at a cottage off the beaten path in order to repair it since its owner (Abel Tripaldi) will soon put the house on sale. They will spend the night there in order to start the repairs the following morning. Everything seems to go on smoothly until Laura hears a sound that comes from outside and gets louder and louder in the upper floor of the house. Wilson goes up to see what is going on while she remains downstairs on her own waiting for her father to come down. The plot is based on a true story that occurred in the 1940s in a small village in Uruguay. La casa muda focuses on the last seventy eight minutes, second by second, as Laura tries to leave the house unharmed and discovers the dark secret it hides.Production
La casa muda was shot in real time in one continuous 78 minute take, with no cuts. It is one of only a handful of theatrically released movies to be shot in one continuous long takeLong take
A long take is an uninterrupted shot in a film which lasts much longer than the conventional editing pace either of the film itself or of films in general, usually lasting several minutes. It can be used for dramatic and narrative effect if done properly, and in moving shots is often accomplished...
, and it has been billed as the first ever single-take horror film, though this claim is the subject of some dispute. With a budget of just six thousand dollars, it was filmed using a handheld high-definition digital single-lens reflex camera (the Canon EOS 5D Mark II) over a period of just four days. It is the first Latin-American feature film and the second film in the world to be shot entirely with a professional photo camera.
Release and reception
The film premiered at the Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
on 16 May 2010, a Director's Fortnight selection. That summer and fall it was screened on the festival circuit at the Melbourne International Film Festival
Melbourne International Film Festival
The Melbourne International Film Festival is an acclaimed annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1951, making it one of the oldest in the World....
, Sitges Film Festival, and the Stockholm International Film Festival
Stockholm International Film Festival
The Stockholm International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Stockholm, Sweden. It was launched in 1990 and has been held every year in the second half of November...
. Its first theatrical release began on 27 January 2011 in Argentina, followed by a 4 March release in Uruguay, where it was produced. It received mixed reviews after its 8 April 2011 release in the UK, with critics generally praising the director's technical achievements, but finding the overall story-line unimpressive. Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw is a British writer and film critic. He was educated at Cambridge University, where he was President of Footlights.Bradshaw is a film critic for The Guardian...
of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
praised the film, writing: "This is a smart, scary film and a technical tour de force with its own skin-crawling atmosphere of fear."
The film has been selected as the Uruguayan entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
at the 84th Academy Awards
84th Academy Awards
The 84th Academy Awards ceremony will honor the best films of 2011 and will take place on February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. It will be televised in the United States on ABC. The host was originally going to be Eddie Murphy. However, after Brett Ratner resigned as...
.