Experiencing Interruptions?

Unspoken

A young boy stops talking after experiencing a traumatic event. Followed and attacked by a mysterious creature, he must search within himself if he wants to defeat it.

  • Alessandro Girolami
    Director
  • Alessandro Girolami
    Writer
  • Alessandro Girolami
    Producer
  • Daniel Ward
    Key Cast
    "Gavin"
  • Mark Lyons
    Key Cast
    "Figure/Gavin's Father"
  • Christine Lindsay-Abaire
    Key Cast
    "Gavin's Mother"
  • Eleri Ever
    Key Cast
    "Other Woman"
  • Alessandro Girolami
    Key Cast
    "911 Operator"
  • Mike Magilnick
    Director of Photography
  • Lauren Buchter
    Music
  • Ana Mainero
    Visual Effects
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 43 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 9, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    13,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Arri Amira
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Alessandro Girolami

I was born and raised in Rochester, New York. My father showed me all of the great 80's and early 90's action movies in our living room. Those were some of my fondest memories. As a grew older, I acted in middle school and high school theater and expanded my taste in cinema. After getting accepted into Hofstra Univeristy and hearing the professors speak highly about the film program at orientation, I knew that's what I wanted to do.

I made my senior thesis film at Hofstra University titled Off the Rails. It tells the story of a young boy with autism who befriends a young girl with Asperger's. Together, they learn to respect one another while trying to make sense of the world around them.

It premiered at Hofstra's student film festival where it won second place. The lead actor in my film is Elias D'Onofrio, son of Vincent. Mr. D'Onofrio came to the festival and saw my film. He said I was a born storyteller and to never stop making movies.

I freelanced at several companies after graduating. I eventually landed my first full-time job as an office production assistant for House Hunters International. I'm very fortunate for the job, but my true passion is making films. The salary earned from House Hunters combined with funds from my grandmother is what allowed me to make Unspoken.

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Director Statement

Unspoken is a simple but gripping story of a young character (Gavin) discovering that one of his parents is having an affair. Shaken by his discovery, Gavin ceases to verbally communicate and is frightened to tell his mother at the risk of his parents divorcing.

I was inspired by secrecy. Every single person has something they want to keep to themselves and in some cases, it can manifest itself into something scary. Not only is this a psychological thriller, but it is also a coming-of-age story. Gavin must confront his demons, conquer them, and grow up as a result. In a way, Gavin represents us all; we fight our demons every day and we figure out how to channel our fears and defeat them. As for me, I channel my fears and transmit my emotions through directing.

Directing Daniel Ward, the young actor who played Gavin, was a great experience. As his character is nonverbal, I had to direct Daniel to express his emotions through facial expressions and body language. Ultimately, he said so much without saying anything.

I wanted the locations to be visually engaging. I loved the house because it had natural light and great space for blocking camera movement. The woods provided a nice cool green ambience for the running scenes and the town alleyway was ideal for a claustrophobic encounter. The barn was the most crucial location with its wide-open space and enough shadows for a fittingly eerie setting.

One of the most important aspects for Unspoken was post-production. Sound and music are always crucial for any production, but this was my first project involving intense visual effects. Ana, my VFX supervisor in Mexico City, was able to interpret my vision and make the creature both other-worldly and human. As I always say, it is that perfect take that makes your vision and dreams become reality.

I really hope nobody sees one of their parents' committing adultery or doing something terrible they can't erase from their minds. Nevertheless, I want to make this film for everyone. If you witnessed something similar, what would you do? If you think about that and root for Gavin, I've succeeded as a storyteller.