The Silent One

The Silent One

A Story of Superstition, Ignorance, Reason and Love.

1984 · 92 min · ★ 5.2 · Family, Drama

A baby is washed up on a Pacific Island and is adopted by a childless woman. The tribal priest takes an instant dislike to the child, proclaiming him a demon. The child is deaf and mute and therefore excluded from hunting with the other young men. Out of loneliness, he befriends a white turtle. When a drought befalls the island, the priest blames the silent one. When the chief protects the boy, the priest plots the chiefs' downfall.

Directed by Yvonne Mackay · Written by Ian Mune

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Rent or Buy

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 2m together

The Silent One

Typhon's People

Both from Yvonne Mackay.

More from Yvonne MackaySee all →

Typhon's People

Typhon's People · 1993

Typhon's People

MovieThrillerScience Fiction

A scientist in New Zealand has a secret lab where experiments are performed on humans. When he is assassinated, opposing forces rush to his hideaway to suppress or expose his secrets.

The Haunting of Barney Palmer

The Haunting of Barney Palmer · 1987

The Haunting of Barney Palmer

MovieFamilyMystery

The Haunting of Barney Palmer is a fantasy film for children about a young boy who is haunted by his great uncle. Young Barney fears that he has inherited the Scholar family curse; a suite of 80s-era effects ramp up the supernatural suspense. The film was a co-production between PBS (United States) and Wellington's Gibson Group, which resulted in Ned Beatty (Deliverance, Network) being cast. It was written by Margaret Mahy, based on her Carnegie Award-winning novel The Haunting, and an early fruitful collaboration between her and director Yvonne Mackay.

Kaitangata Twitch

Kaitangata Twitch · 2010

Kaitangata Twitch

SeriesFamilyKids

Kaitangata Twitch is a children's adventure/fantasy series that aired on Maori TV in New Zealand in 2010. Based on the children's book of the same name, written by renouned New Zealand children's author, Margaret Mahy, it follows the adventures of thirteen year old Meredith, who can hear voices calling to her from a nearby island, Kaitangata, in the bay of her small hometown. A legend of pre-European New Zealand, the frequent rumblings of small earthquakes and the disappearance of a young Pakeha girl, fifty years earlier, all shroud the mystery surrounding the island.

The Monster's Christmas

The Monster's Christmas · 1981

The Monster's Christmas

MovieFamilyFantasy

On Christmas Eve, a nameless little girl reads 'The Monster's Christmas' storybook to her teddy bear, as something sneaks around in the trees outside her window. She hears a noise in the other room, and thinking that it's Father Christmas, she goes to investigate. She finds one of the monsters, who has come seeking help to defeat an evil witch that has stolen all the monsters' voices.

Nearly No Christmas

Nearly No Christmas · 1983

Nearly No Christmas

Before Christmas, the North Pole is a very busy place. When Rumbletum, the cantankerous boiler which drives the toy machines breaks down, Santa has to find a job in the city to pay for the repairs.

Friend of the Friendless

Friend of the Friendless · 2020

Friend of the Friendless

MovieDocumentaryDrama

Law professor Chris Gallivan examines the career of one of our country's best defence lawyers, Greg King. Through the lens of King's most sensational case – the defence of Ewen Macdonald for the murder of Scott Guy - Gallivan also raises serious questions about the state of criminal justice in New Zealand today.

More Like This

Cast Away

Cast Away · 2000

MovieAdventureDrama

Chuck Noland, a top international manager for FedEx, and Kelly, a Ph.D. student, are in love and heading towards marriage. Then Chuck's plane to Malaysia crashes at sea during a terrible storm. He's the only survivor, and finds himself marooned on a desolate island. With no way to escape, Chuck must find ways to survive in his new home.

The World's Fastest Indian

The World's Fastest Indian · 2005

The World's Fastest Indian

MovieDramaAdventure

The life story of New Zealander Burt Munro, who spent years building a 1920 Indian motorcycle—a bike which helped him set the land-speed world record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967.

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? · 1999

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?

Five years have passed and Jake has turned his back on his family. He's still up to his usual tricks in McClutchy's Bar, unaware, as he downs his latest opponent, that his eldest son, Nig, has died in a gang fight. The uncomfortable family reunion at Nig's funeral sparks a confrontation with second son, Sonny, and sets Jake and Sonny on a downward spiral.

Out of the Blue

Out of the Blue · 2006

Out of the Blue

MovieDramaCrime

Ordinary people find extraordinary courage in the face of madness. On 13–14 November 1990 that madness came to Aramoana, a small New Zealand seaside town, in the form of a lone gunman with a high-powered semi-automatic rifle. As he stalked his victims the terrified and confused residents were trapped for 24 hours while a handful of under-resourced and under-armed local policemen risked their lives trying to find him and save the survivors. Based on true events.

Under the Mountain

Under the Mountain · 2009

Under the Mountain

MovieFantasyAdventure

Teenage twins battle dark forces hidden beneath Auckland's volcanoes.

Once Were Warriors

Once Were Warriors · 1994

Once Were Warriors

In a violent relationship, it takes a mother’s strength to save herself and her children from the man she loved. Once Were Warriors is a violent love story set against a contemporary urban backdrop.

The Piano

The Piano · 1993

MovieDramaRomance

When an arranged marriage brings Ada and her spirited pre-teen daughter Flora to the wilderness of 19th-century New Zealand, she finds herself locked in a battle of wills with both her controlling husband and a rugged frontiersman to whom she develops a forbidden attraction.

In My Father's Den

In My Father's Den · 2004

In My Father's Den

MovieDramaMystery

War journalist Paul Prior returns to his New Zealand hometown after his father’s death, rekindling strained relationships with his brother and memories of a troubled past. He befriends Celia, a curious and aspiring writer, who shares a fascination with his world. When Celia mysteriously disappears, Paul becomes the prime suspect, forcing him to confront buried secrets and uncover the dark truths of his family and community.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter