Dina Karaman and Evgeny Rodin
SILENCE IS THE ENEMY OF THE SEA
Nothing but the sea is visible from the barred windows of a large house. The inhabitants are lulled by marine songs broadcast day and night, so they never notice their confinement.
SYNOPSIS
Muffled music seeps in through the thick white fog. Inside, people on the iron beds begin to stir awake under their snug wraps. The barred windows of their rooms face the vast, grumbling sea. The on-site radio plays songs in different languages—some are about the Great Mother Sea, in others the sea is a ruthless killer. Wake-up, meal, leisure, and nap time calls are made in Morse code. After meals, the residents lounge in the vast halls on sofas and carpets. They drift away to imaginary seas, ignoring the real one before them. Some stare wistfully out the windows, occasionally opening the shutters to let in the sounds of rushing waves. Outdoor activities in the main yard are accompanied by upbeat navy melodies or mournful sailor songs. On command, the residents go back to their rooms to read, pray or rest. But one of them refuses to follow the established routine. Instead, he runs out onto the actual sea shore with his radio and climbs a cliff surrounded by crashing waves.
DIRECTOR
Dina Karaman, Evgeny Rodin
PRODUCER
Vladimir Nadein, Anton Kurilchik, Mina Seyid-Mammadova, Evgeny Rodin
CO-PRODUCERS
Сlaudia Joldes, Aleksey Lapin, Kamran Aydinov
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Dénapá
COUNTRY
Azerbaijan, France, Austria
CO-PRODUCTION COMPANY
Jol Filmproduktion, Mandarin Production
GENRE
Documentary
Dina Karaman
DINA KARAMAN (1986) is a Taipei based filmmaker, editor, archive researcher, and educator. Her film “Letters About The End of The World” (2021) was shown in the international competition at the Moscow International Experimental Film Festival and in the film programme of 17th Venice Architecture Biennale. Her feature documentary “Daily News — A Chronicle of Our Days” (2019) was a part of the special program The Collapse of Socialism at the Message to Man International Film Festival. Short film “The Nature of Dogs” (dir. Pom Bunsermvicha, Thailand), edited by Dina, was selected for the Locarno 2024, Pardi di Domani International Competition. In 2021, Dina's first fiction project, “Antisexus”, won the top prize at the pitching session of the II New Holland Island International Debut Film Festival. Her works also were presented in Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute, Doc Club in Bangkok, Sadie Coles HQ London, to name a few.
Evgeny Rodin
EVGENY RODIN is a filmmaker and cinematographer based in Nancy, France. The world premiere of his latest film as director of photography "Short Summer" (dir. Nastya Korkia) will take place at Giornate degli Autori in Venice. His previous cinematographic work "After Dreaming" (dir. Christine Haroutounian) was shown at Berlinale Forum 2025. His first feature film, “Froth” (documentary, dir. Ilya Povolotsky) was supported by the Doha Film Institute Grants Programme, premiered at IDFA in 2019 and earned a special jury mention and the Grand Prix at ZagrebDox. The film also won two awards for best cinematography. In 2020, he shot the short film “Towards Evening” (dir. Teymur Hajiyev), which premiered at the Semaine de la Critique Cannes. He studied cinematography in the Moscow School of New Cinema. His graduation film, “Calendar” (dir. Igor Poplauhin), debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018 as part of the Cinefondation program and received the second prize. “Silence is the Enemy of the Sea” is the directorial debut that Evgeny is working on together with Dina Karaman.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Once, we came across a state psychiatric hospital in Azerbaijan and were deeply moved by the image of people dancing to music behind the bars. It mirrored our own effort to live under limited personal and political freedom. Upon entering the hospital, one sees only the Caspian Sea through its barred windows. In the film, we construct a docu-fictional space in which marine songs in various languages from different political regimes echo through a diegetic radio system. These broadcasts resemble state propaganda which creates an illusion of knowledge, in this case about the sea. Representing freedom and infinity, the sea is intended to contrast the confined environment of the hospital. The scenes are collaboratively scripted and staged with the residents, with their full consent. Thus, the film is not about the psychiatric hospital itself. It is a fairy tale where many states merge into a single kingdom, and the noise of propaganda prevents people from seeing the sea with their own eyes.
Vladimir Nadein
VLADIMIR NADEIN is a producer and film curator based between Vienna, Paris and Taipei. He is a producer and co-founder of the production company Dénapá. He co-produced the Taiwanese feature film “The Trio Hall” that world premiered at Berlinale Forum 2025. He produced the Azerbaijani-Singaporean short film “My name is OIL” (dir. Igor Smola) that had its world premiere at Sheffield DocFest. Vladimir is currently producing the French-German feature “I Can Feel you Breathing into My Palm” that was awarded at FID Lab/ FID Marseille 2025. Vladimir produced the award-winning film “Detours” (dir. Ekaterina Selenkina), supported by the Hubert Bals Fund, which received the Eurimages Lab Project Award in Les Arcs and was screened at Venice Critics' Week, Viennale, Thessaloniki IFF, Berlin Critics' Week, FICUNAM, Jeonju IFF, IndieLisboa, Beldocs, FILMADRID, Camden IFF and others. He curated special programmes and screenings for the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale, Oberhausen International Short Film Festival, Image Forum Tokyo, Kunstnernes Hus Kino, BRNO16, Fotografiska Berlin, Hamburg Short Film Festival, Bucharest International Experimental Film Festival, Minimalen Short Film Festival Trondheim. He has also been involved in the selection process for various editions of the First Cut Lab and the Pop-Up Film Residency Munich. Vladimir is part of the preselection committee of Vienna Shorts. In 2016 Vladimir co-founded the Moscow International Experimental Film Festival, which he directed for five editions.
Production company profile
Dénapá is an emerging Paris-based production company founded in 2024 with a strong focus on politically relevant experimental, hybrid cinema and docufictions. Their project in development I Can Feel you Breathing into my Palm was selected and awarded at FID Lab at FID Marseille 2025. The films produced by the co-founders have been screened and awarded worldwide at Berlinale Forum, IFFR, IDFA, Venice Critics' Week, Jeonju FF, Viennale, Doc Fortnight: MoMa, IndieLisboa, FILMADRID and many more.
Where are we at?
TOTAL ESTIMATED BUDGET
83.359 €
NEEDED FOR COMPLETION
35.000 €
Looking for at CineLink?
co-producers and post-production houses to help close the funding gap or contribute in-kind with post-production services to complete the film; sales agents and festival distributors, finding the right venue for the film’s world premiere