The Art of Silence

[BluBonnet]

Original ‘Shōgun’ Director Jerry London to Helm Feature ‘The Art of Silence,’ About French Mime Marcel Marceau and How WWII Shaped Him

Emmy-nominated director Jerry London (“Shōgun,” “The Scarlet and the Black”) is set to shoot the France-set feature film “The Art of Silence,” about world-famous mime Marcel Marceau and how World War II shaped him as an artist.

This is ground covered, at least in part, by the 2020 Jesse Eisenberg-starrer “Resistance,” which depicted how Marceau helped thousands of Jews escape the Nazis. However, “The Art of Silence” will not “simply recount his acts of bravery,” according to a statement.

The project, now in development, is based on an original story by London written by Mary Krell-Oishi (“Paper Flowers”). “Art of Silence” will look to reframe the traditional Marceau wartime narrative by “focusing not on the battlefield,” but on how the horrors of World War II “informed the identity and artistry of a young Jewish man who would become the most powerful silent actor in modern history,” the statement added.

“The Art of Silence” is a family affair, being produced by London’s second cousin, Gerry Pass of Chrome Entertainment, as well as Michael Rothman of MarVista Entertainment. Casting is being led by London’s daughter Lisa London. “Art of Silence” is expected to soon enter the casting and packaging stage, and talks with international sales agents are underway.

“’The Art of Silence’ is a timely, emotionally rich story about survival, transformation and the language of movement,” said Pass, who is related to London. “This is not a war film — it’s a film about how art is born through adversity, and how silence became a weapon of resistance,” he added. Pass called the opportunity to collaborate with London “a lifelong dream.”

At the heart of the story is a painful betrayal: Marcel’s best friend is the son of a prominent Vichy general, whose love for him is real yet ultimately is eclipsed “by inherited ideology and allegiance to a regime that dehumanized him for being Jewish,” according to promotional materials.

Through this prism, “The Art of Silence” becomes not only a portrait of resistance, “but also a meditation on how propaganda — disguised as patriotism, broadcast as truth — can fracture even the most intimate human bonds,” the materials go on to note. “Marceau’s silence, once his art form, becomes a metaphor for the voicelessness of the persecuted, and the chilling realization that silence, too, can be complicit if not wielded with courage.”

Currently in development, “The Art of Silence” comes as Chrome Entertainment is positioning itself for increased international collaboration. The L.A. and New York-based indie is set to open a Paris office later this year, working in close coordination with France’s national film board CNC. The expansion comes ahead of Pass’ previously announced upcoming project, the elevated genre drama “The Soap Maker,” to be directed by Claire Denis.