top of page

Films, animation and Video director

ED Restino

SILENCE SPEAKS 10.png
SILENCE SPEAKS poster 8.png

SILENCE SPEAKS

PITCH DECK

 

Genre:

Drama / Romance / Psychological Realism

Setting:

Contemporary London — not the glossy postcard version, but the lived-in, soulful city. Backstreets of Camden, the grey light of the Thames, crowded cafés, buses, parks in drizzle — the city itself mirrors the inner weather of its characters. The understated, working side of the city. Office corridors lit by winter light, buses scraping past puddles, commuter cafés at dawn, the hum of fluorescent tubes over worn desks. The city is alive but indifferent — a reflection of the quiet battles people fight beneath the surface.

Tone and Style:

The film is quiet, poetic, and human. It moves between naturalistic dialogue and deeply subjective visual moments — flashes of memory, distorted reflections in glass, night walks by the river. Music and sound are subtle, with the city hum always beneath it.
Think Normal People meets Shame meets Blue Valentine, with the emotional resonance of Manchester by the Sea.

Logline:

In a city that never stops moving, two fragile souls — a woman struggling with borderline personality disorder and a man newly diagnosed with cancer — find in each other a reason to stay, to fight, and to love, even when life feels impossible.

Treatment

Act I — Everyday Faces

Laurence (45) works in evening shifts restocking in a supermarket in South London. On the surface she’s efficient, witty, and self-contained — the colleague everyone likes but no one really knows. Inside, she’s constantly fighting waves of fear, anger, and loneliness, managing her borderline personality disorder in secret.  She wants to leave her alcoholic, abusive husband.

Her world is measured in small victories — showing up to work, keeping her voice steady, not letting her emotions spill over.

MARIO (49) is a office manager — calm, understated, respected by everyone. He’s the kind of man who notices the details others miss: the extra sugar in her tea, the exhaustion in her smile.

There’s no grand flirtation, just a growing closeness — shared rides on a bus to work, quiet talks, small gestures. Laurence feels safe with him. Mario, in turn, finds in her a spark that cuts through his greyness.

Then, in a private doctor’s office, Mario is told he has prostate cancer. The news lands quietly, without music — just the sound of the city outside. He tells only one, Brenda that shares a flat with him.  He insists on carrying on, keeping his dignity, his routines, his smile

 

After a while Mario and Laurence meet each other. Their conversation is brief but full of what’s unspoken. She doesn’t know where he’s been. He doesn’t know how hard she’s fought. Yet, there’s a shared understanding — that everyone carries invisible battles.

Themes:

  • The courage it takes to seem “normal”

  • Love without confession

  • Invisible illness — mental and physical

  • The city as a mirror of isolation and resilience

  • Hope through quiet perseverance

Visual and Sound Design:

  • Color palette: Cold neutrals with pockets of warmth — coffee browns, muted blues, occasional golden light during rare moments of connection.

  • Long takes, shallow focus, natural lighting. The camera lingers on hands, reflections, empty spaces.

  • London hum, the drone of the Underground, footsteps, breathing. Minimal score — soft piano and ambient textures.

  • Windows — the barrier between inner and outer life; what’s visible and what’s hidden.

SILENCE SPEAKS poster 8.png

🎬 Film Investor Proposal

Title: SILENCE SPEAKS

Directed by: Edilberto Restino
Producer: Rodrigo Rodrigues
Original idea: Macximo Bossimo and Christianne Oliveira.
Written by: Macximo Bossimo, Christianne Oliveira, Tiago Moyses and Edilberto Restino.
Genre: Intimate Drama / Psychological Romance
Setting: Contemporary London
Estimated Runtime: 100 minutes

1. Logline

In modern-day London, two colleagues — one hiding her emotional fragility, the other his failing health — form a fragile connection that teaches them both the quiet power of kindness, courage, and unspoken love.

2. Synopsis

Laurence, 45, works quietly in an supermarket, efficient and composed. Beneath her calm surface, she’s managing borderline personality disorder — undiagnosed by others, hidden from all. Mario, 49, is a manager in an Office, is a compassionate, understated man recently diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Neither knows the other’s struggle. Their friendship unfolds through small gestures, shared silences, and moments of warmth amid the sterile hum of shared ride on a bus. As Mario undergoes treatment in secret and Laurence fights her inner storms alone, their connection becomes both a refuge and a reflection of London itself — a city full of people surviving quietly.

The Silence Speaks is a film about empathy, restraint, and the dignity of endurance. It explores how two ordinary lives, colliding in a vast metropolis, can offer a glimpse of hope — not through miracles, but through kindness.

3. Creative Vision

Tone & Style

Subtle, poetic, and grounded in realism. Think Aftersun, Blue Valentine, or Manchester by the Sea — minimal dialogue, powerful silences, and emotional authenticity.

London is more than a backdrop — it’s a living presence. Its rain-slicked pavements, crowded buses, and quiet offices mirror the emotional tension of the story.

Visual Style

  • Handheld and intimate, using natural light and real locations.

  • Muted greys, blues, and warm browns — realism softened by occasional lyrical moments.

  • Sound Design: Sparse score (piano, ambient textures), city noise as emotional atmosphere.

Director’s Statement

“This story is about the heroism of ordinary people — those who go to work, smile, and keep moving while carrying invisible pain. The SILENCE SPEAKS celebrates emotional honesty and the quiet hope that connects us in a world that rarely stops to look.”

4. Market & Distribution

Target Audience

  • Viewers aged 25–65, interested in prestige drama and character-driven cinema.

  • Audiences of Aftersun, Normal People, The Father, Her Love Was Only a Word (BBC).

Festival Strategy

Primary festival targets:

  • Sundance / Tribeca / Toronto (North America premiere)

  • Cannes / Berlinare (European premiere)

  • BFI London Film Festival (UK premiere)

  • Rotterdam / Karlovy Vary / Edinburgh for European circuit

Distribution Path

  • Limited UK theatrical release (Picturehouse, Curzon, Everyman).

  • Global streaming acquisition (Netflix, MUBI, Apple TV or Amazon Originals).

  • Ancillary revenue: VOD, international TV, educational & health-sector screenings.

5. Financing Plan

Source                                                                                    Percentage                             Amount (GBP)

Private Equity (Investors)                                                           40%                                    £200,000

BFI / Film London Microbudget Fund                                         25%                                    £125,000

Tax Credit (UK Film Tax Relief)                                                  20%                                    £100,000

Pre-Sales / Distributor MG                                                         10%                                    £50,000

In-kind (locations, post facilities, crew)                                        5%                                    £25,000

Total Estimated Budget                                                            100%                                    £500,000

AWARDS 2.jpg
bottom of page