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Silent Waters

Play trailer Poster for Silent Waters Released Aug 15, 2003 1h 40m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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70% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 86% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
In Pakistan during the late 1970s, widowed Ayesha (Kirron Kher) lives with her beloved son, Saleem (Aamir Malik). Saleem is a content but slightly bored teenage boy, until two radical Muslims move into his village. Like the rest of the villagers, at first Saleem keeps a distance -- and a sense of humor -- between himself and the fundamentalists. But over time the radicals begin to win him over, turning the teenager into someone completely unrecognizable to his devastated mother.
Silent Waters

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Set in the late 1970s, Silent Waters is a well-meaning but plodding look at the rise of extremism in Pakistan.

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Critics Reviews

View All (20) Critics Reviews
Susan Walker Toronto Star Silent Waters means well, but falls way short of its mark of enlightening the world to the plight of South Asian women in this period of history. It just isn't believable enough. Rated: 2/5 Nov 12, 2004 Full Review John Anderson Newsday The filmmakers provide a well-meaning, well-timed Pakistani portrait. Rated: 3/4 Oct 8, 2004 Full Review V.A. Musetto New York Post Although taking place 25 years in the past, director-writer Sabiha Sumar's debut feature has relevance in the world as we now know it. Rated: 3/4 Oct 8, 2004 Full Review David Walsh World Socialist Web Site Silent Waters has some plodding elements and the portrayal of Ayesha is a little conventional and melodramatic, but the fundamentalist charlatans are well represented. Feb 15, 2021 Full Review Eric Monder Film Journal International Puts you in the middle of the action and allows you to understand, if not empathize with, all the main characters. Mar 1, 2007 Full Review Jeff Vice Deseret News (Salt Lake City) Leaden and dull. Rated: 2/4 Jun 3, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (45) audience reviews
Audience Member this was serious stuff. story line, relevance to a particular time in history of Pakistan. there was alot for me to learn. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Silent Waters had moments when you felt that it was going to become a great film but never reached the greatness you expected. The story of a family torn by the religious extremism Silent Waters is a good film that never became as great as it should have been, Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member The infamous partition that tore apart a country and made it two. Families from both countries unable to forget that treacherous year; feeling the effects for generations after. For anyone from the lineage of either of the two countries this movie hits you like a ton of bricks. Heartaches, sadness, and pain this movie has it all; it's all too real. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member Small-scaled look at the price paid in the face of the increasing Islamist fundamentalism of Pakistan. Effectively intimate, the film works best in reveling in the small details of its place and time. Perhaps a little hard to parse for those more ignorant to 20th century Pakistani history, yet it provides lots of nuances for us to ponder: the son's discontent with the lack of economic choices in rural Pakistan, the mother's disillusionment with the sexism of both Islam and Sikhism, etc. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Beautiful film that deals with the remnants of the issues of partition. Family secrets are unveiled when Sikh pilgrams arrive in Pakistan and the eldest son goes fundamentalist. Saddening. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member What a well made movie. The story is as close to reality as it gets. Makes you angry, cry & think. Is hatred necessary? Can we ever learn to live with each other without feeling threatened? The gradual transformation of the free village into a conservative one by a bunch of holligans is very smartly shown. The village characters and their interesting conversations reflecting the views of the locals, the Sikh visitors and their connection to the village, the pathetically lost Salim and his friends whom I felt only pity for and the tragic story of partition shown via his mother Ayesha's character ... all these play upon so many different levels that it makes this movie a great one. Must watch. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Silent Waters

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Movie Info

Synopsis In Pakistan during the late 1970s, widowed Ayesha (Kirron Kher) lives with her beloved son, Saleem (Aamir Malik). Saleem is a content but slightly bored teenage boy, until two radical Muslims move into his village. Like the rest of the villagers, at first Saleem keeps a distance -- and a sense of humor -- between himself and the fundamentalists. But over time the radicals begin to win him over, turning the teenager into someone completely unrecognizable to his devastated mother.
Director
Sabiha Sumar
Producer
Philippe Avril
Screenwriter
Sabiha Sumar
Distributor
First Run
Production Co
Vidhi Films
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Punjabi
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 15, 2003, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Mar 1, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA)
$7.4K
Runtime
1h 40m
Sound Mix
Surround