Experiencing Interruptions?

The Silence within ("Lautlos")

The Silence Within” (“Lautlos” in its haunting German original) is a visceral, 15-minute plunge into the fractured mind of a man imprisoned by the black weight of severe depression. Seeking refuge—or perhaps surrender—he admits himself into the cold, ordered corridors of a private psychiatric clinic.
Filmed in ghostly, grain-soaked 16mm black and white, its visuals constrict the viewer in a suffocating, dream-logic haze, echoing the shadow-drenched language of classic film noir. Through fevered, relentless voice-overs, we are drawn into the protagonist’s storm of thoughts, each one splintering reality until the sterile world of medicine bleeds into landscapes of nightmare. Symbols coil in the darkness. A lone piano murmurs its grief. And above it all, the psychiatrists dispassionate reason slices through the chaos—a chilling counterpoint to the raw ache of the human soul unraveling.
But this is more than art—it is an unflinching confrontation. “The Silence Within” wields its craft as a weapon against stigma, shattering the silence that still clings to clinical depression. It beckons the audience not to look away, but to listen, to speak, to recognize the invisible battles fought in locked rooms and behind quiet eyes. This is cinema as mirror, as confession, as urgent call to compassion—where aesthetic beauty meets psychological truth, and the result is nothing less than unforgettable.

  • Christian Peschken
    Director
    "Mission:Possible -Miracle over Berlin", "Deadline-the final resting place"
  • Christian Peschken
    Writer
  • Dr. Tobias Freyer
    Writer
  • Christian Peschken
    Producer
  • Michael Moog de Medici
    Key Cast
    "Patient "
  • Tobias Freyer
    Key Cast
    "Psychiatrist "
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Lautlos
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    February 28, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    16mm Negative, 4K
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Oblivion Frames Festival

    Portugal
    July 5, 2025
    Best Shortfilm AWARD
  • Chameleon Film Festival
    Napoli, Italy
    Italy
    Official Selection
  • Kiez Berlin Film Festival
    Berlin
    Germany
    Best Shortfilm AWARD
  • New York Lift-Off Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    July 1, 2025
    Selected
  • Easter Europe Film Festival
    Bucharest
    Romania
    July 2, 2025
    Selected
  • AltFF Alernative Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    June 24, 2025
    Nominated
Director Biography - Christian Peschken

Christian Peschken

Multifaceted media professional with over four decades of experience in film, television, and radio across Germany, the United States, and Switzerland. Background includes film production (35mm, 16mm), international co-productions, executive management, broadcast journalism, and documentary filmmaking. Accredited correspondent at the United Nations Geneva for EWTN Germany, and recognized for impactful work in both commercial and socially conscious media.

EARLY CAREER – GERMANY (1974–1988)
Radio & Television Host: Hosted numerous live broadcasts for Hessischer Rundfunk and SWF3, both state-owned broadcasting companies.
Camera & Audio Training:
Film-Camera Assistant (1974–76) at Blick in die Welt (German newsreel)
Certified Radio Broadcast Audio Engineer (trained at Bundeswehr Radio Station "Radio 701")
TV & Radio Producer:
Among the first to receive a private broadcast license (1984) from the Rhineland-Palatinate government
Created and hosted over 100 episodes of the weekly Tonight Special Talkshow and a daily radio program
General Manager (1986–88): Led a 35mm film production company producing and editing theatrical commercials
Radio 4 Rosa Welle: Host, narrator, commercial scriptwriter, and producer for this private network in Frankfurt

HOLLYWOOD & LAS VEGAS – USA (1989–2009)
Co-Production Development (1989 onward): Relocated to Los Angeles to develop US/German film co-productions
Founder:
Hillwood Entertainment Music Group, Inc. (Music Rights)
Hillwood Entertainment Film Group, Inc. (Film Production), with German investors and music producer Michael Holm
Co-Executive Producer (with Roger Corman):
The Spy Within / Flight of the Dove (Scott Glenn, Theresa Russell)
Dillinger & Capone (F. Murray Abraham, Martin Sheen)
Captain Nuke & the Bomber Boys (Rod Steiger, Martin Sheen)
Suspect Device (C. Thomas Howell)
Producer:
Herzflimmern / Vital Signs (ZDF 2x90min, starring Maria Furtwängler)
Assignment Berlin / Baby Handel Berlin (Pro7 & Hallmark, starring Paul Winfield, Cliff Robertson)
Screenwriter: Hostile Environment / Watership Warrior (TV feature, Brigitte Nielsen)
Consultant / Risk Assessor (late 1990s): Structured film co-financing deals with Paramount, Universal, MGM, and Chase Securities
Documentary Producer (2000–2005):
Mercenaries of the Lord, Assignment X, City Van — broadcast on Word Network and JC-TV
Described this work with the homeless as “the most meaningful experience” of his life
Executive Producer (2004–2005):
Heatstroke, Max Havoc: Ring of Fire, Presumed Dead, Double Cross

MEDIA & BROADCAST – EWTN / GERMANY / SWITZERLAND (2009–Present)
TV Producer for EWTN Global Catholic Network (2009–2014, Milwaukee):
Produced hundreds of German-dubbed educational & children’s programs
Localized the acclaimed Catholicism documentary series by Fr. Robert Barron (now Bishop Barron)
Accredited UN Geneva Correspondent (2014–Present):
Produces weekly news reports for EWTN Germany (UN-BLOG)
600+ news pieces broadcast since 2014; also contributes to Catholic News Agency (CNA) Germany
Geneva Press Accreditation:
Active correspondent with press credentials at the United Nations, Geneva

RECENT WORK & AWARDS
Short Film: LAUTLOS (The Silence Within) – 2025
16mm Black & White Film Noir short about depression
Widely recognized in psychiatric circles in Germany and the USA for its powerful and intimate portrayal of mental health
Multiple awards and nominations at international short film festivals
Press coverage: Featured in Silvergrain Classics magazine
https://silvergrainclassics.com/en/2025/04/christian_peschken

Other Notable Documentaries (Recent)
Mission: Possible – Miracle over Berlin (Col. Gail Halvorsen, Berlin Airlift)
Available on Amazon Prime, produced for the Tunison Foundation
Deadline – Documentary on German cemetery culture (16mm/4K, Hessian Cultural Foundation)
Lockdown – Women artists in isolation, based on Wiesbaden Women’s Museum exhibition
The Iconwriter (2024) – 30-min film on Syrian iconographer Osama Msleh
The Silence within (Lautlos" - 15 min. Shortfilm about a man with clinical depression - Very artistic approach in 16mm Black & White -

MEMBERSHIPS & RECOGNITIONS
Producers Guild of America (1994–1999)
Briefly chaired the Social Awareness Committee in 1999
Communicator Award 2002 – for Assignment X
Letter from Pope Francis (2017) – Recognized personal contribution to Catholic UN media outreach
Cross of Officer ‘Pro Merito Melitensi’ (2018) – Sovereign Order of Malta, jointly awarded to Mr. & Mrs. Peschken
DPV Member (Deutscher Presse Verband) – since January 2023
Diplomatic Council (ECOSOC NGO Status) – since August 2023
Geneva Press Club – Member since November 2023
UN Geneva Press Accreditation – Since December 2024

SKILLS & EXPERTISE
International Co-Production Structuring
35mm/16mm Cinematography
Documentary Filmmaking
Voice-Over & Narration (DE & EN)
UN Press Coverage & Reportage
Media Localization & Dubbing
Risk Analysis for Media Financing
Live Broadcasting (TV/Radio)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
IMDB: Christian Peschken on IMDb
Languages: English, German
Voice Over: Available in both German and English
Documentary Portfolio & Press: Available on request

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

There is the film you conceive and plan. There is the film you actually shoot. And there is the film that emerges with you in the editing room"
(William Friedkin" The Exorcist", "French Connection", "Sorcerer" etc.)