Silent Love

Victim of the breakdown in trust and communication between his estranged parents 12 year old Sem de Rijn has not seen his father for 6 months when he arrives at his school one afternoon and offers the boy a holiday. They run away together driving through Holland and Belgium, camping out and generally having the kinds of adventures a boy dreams of until pursued by the police and torn between his love for his mother and his father, Sem and his father return to face the music.

Directed by René van Nie, Silent Love leans on a strong ensemble — Cor van Rijn, Sem de Jong, Marielle Fiolet — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1977.