When Ruben Latre, director at Hostage Films, set out to shoot a camera test with the Atlas Orion anamorphic lenses the exercise quickly transformed into making the short film, “Silence.” The pensive, haunting film has just been released online following a series of festival honors. Looking at it through the lens of what people are experiencing now, the film takes on a new layer; one that the creative team hopes inspires a sense of peace.

“With the world on pause, we decided to make the film available online,” says Hostage EP Melissa Beth. “It feels somehow right for these days: A woman in isolation -- her struggle and ultimate peace, in silence.”

Ruben, a notable commercial director, has been developing a number of narrative projects, including “This is Not The End,” which won Best Feature Screenplay at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards. He wanted to try out film looks, independently, in a real environment. For what was to become “Silence,” he wrote a short, poetic script; and enlisted actress Stephanie Sutherland for the test/experimental project. 

With a three-person crew, Ruben and Sutherland headed to upstate New York where they filmed for three days. Music artist Abby Gundersen provided the evocative soundtrack for the film. Ruben completed the edit for the film/test in his post suite. 

Silence has earned Best Cinematography at the Edmonton International Film Festival, Best Short Film and Best Cinematography at the New York Cinematography Awards and Best Director, Best Experimental Film and Best Cinematography at the European Cinematography Awards. 

“What began as a camera and lens test has taken on a life of its own,” says Ruben. “It’s an honor to have received recognition for the film’s aesthetic, something that the Atlas Orion lenses made possible, and I hope that the narrative positively resonates with audiences. I never could have imagined how our world has changed and how that could add a new dimension to the project.”