Lara grew up with two deaf parents. She translates for her parents and also shows her rebellious side against her father. Her clarinet playing aunt interests her in the clarinet with which she becomes successful. It's a success that her parents cannot share. The separation between child and parents grows which is exacerbated by the conflict between the aunt and the father. The aunt is also hiding a secret from the family.It's a complex movie about a family dealing with handicap. The compelling part is that the father is no saint. The parents' handicap has real consequences. The misunderstandings are real. The girl is not simply a brat. There are several sides to the same story. It's all handled with care. The girl's deliberate mistranslations are hilarious. She's cute and quite charismatic. The girl becomes a young woman midway in the movie. The aunt adds another layer to the story. It's a family that feels real.

Contrary to previous comments, sign language is NOT the same around the world. It is true that American Sign Language and French Sign Language are quite similar; this is because one of the first teachers of the deaf in the United States was a Frenchman, Laurent Clerc. However, at the the present time, French and American Sign Languages only have about 50% lexical similarity. Additionally, although German Sign Language is somewhat similar to other European sign languages, it is not related to ASL at all.The sign language used by the little girl in this movie is German Sign Language. Her father is played by an American deaf man and her mother is played by a French deaf woman; their signing in German Sign Language is understandably accented.For the record, I am a certified interpreter in American Sign Language.

when you totally give in to a movie, let down your guards, and are completely absorbed in the life of the characters, this is a good movie. i do not have deaf parents, i have a daughter (and the father daughter relationship was very touching for me, personally)but i just surrendered and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. i'd like to take this opportunity to thank my video store for having a foreign film library. i couldn't help but think of two things while watching this movie; 1.(and apparently many of you were thinking the same)is sign language the same in all countries? and don't laugh, 2. how this film compared to flashdance(bear with me)...and how it is obvious how flashdance was such a good idea on paper, but the translation to film was a complete failure. well..not complete, i liked it for one sit down. i will watch jenseits der stille again, as i do most subtitled films and enjoy it again. thank you ms. link, the cast and especially tatjana trieb and sylvie testud. you touched me.

The story was beautiful and provoked deep emotions in many sections, but I felt that much of the talent was aimed at displaying the ordinary communication within the family rather than the love of music or whatever passion the main characters may have had for their chosen lives. I felt cheated in some respects because the music and jobs seemed more window-dressing that life choices. Seeing and hearing Giora Feldman was a surprise and a treat. I wish there had been more about the music or more about the parents and their internal lives.