«Silent Plan» by Ömer Yıldırım

Silent Plan, the new film by Omer Yildirim, tells a story of disillusionment and resistance with striking clarity and emotional depth. Four young deaf individuals are selected to participate in the trial of a groundbreaking technology that promises to restore their hearing. After years spent recording the voices of their loved ones in the hope of finally hearing them, the protagonists are suddenly removed from the project just days before its official launch. No explanation. No alternatives.

What could have been a story of progress and hope becomes instead a narrative about exclusion and power. Silent Plan avoids any consolatory rhetoric and presents, through essential writing and a sober visual language, the silent struggle of those who are used to being unheard. When the protagonists decide to act—doing whatever it takes to access the devices—it marks a turning point: not just the desperate action of those who long to hear, but a symbolic demand for the right not to be left behind.

The performances by Elif Çakırtas (Leyla) and Berk Aydın (Mustafa), both deaf actors, bring a rare sense of realism and authenticity to the screen. Their presence, along with that of Merve Ayaz, a sign language interpreter, and on-set consultant, makes Silent Plan a tangible example of inclusive cinema—one that goes beyond representation to become a collective act of expression.

Behind the narrative device of denied technology, Yildirim crafts a powerful reflection on the dominant structures that society continues to impose on people with disabilities—even when it pretends to include them. Silent Plan is a story of broken dreams, but also of self-determination, community, and silent resilience.

A necessary film, deserving of a place in festivals that value a political lens on the present. Because truly listening unheard voices, in the end, is a choice.