Emma Stone Says She'd Like to Make a Feature Length Silent Film After Starring in Silent Short BLEAT

Emma Stone recently appeared at the New York Film Festival to talk about her most recent project, Bleat, a short silent movie written and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. The film is set on a small Greek island, and follows a young woman (Stone) who “lurches between devastation at the loss of her partner (Damien Bonnard) and an animal instinct for life.” The 30-minute film explores themes like loneliness and connection; death, love and desire and human and animal interaction.

Variety reports that Stone says it was a “dream come true” to make a silent film. “If I never had to talk again, I’d be thrilled,” she said, then joked “and so would a lot of other people…”

Later in the panel, she doubled down on her desire to not talk on screen. “I’m being serious. It’s my favorite thing to not have to speak. I wish often think we could cut many lines of dialogue because I think people can say a lot more without speaking,” Stone said. “I mean, sure, sometimes they can say it with words,” she conceded. “I like language…”

Lanthimos offered an idea. “Make a silent feature!”

“Clap if you like that idea,” Stone directed the crowd, who responded with enthusiastic applause. “I’ll do it… once the strike is over!”

I think it would be interesting to see what kind of story could be told in the old medium of silent filmmaking these days. I think it might be cool, and I’d definitely be intrigued enough to check it out. Would you be interested in watching a feature length silent film?