Coming-of-age LGBTQIA+ content will probably never go out of style at this point. Look no further than Cleveland International Film Festival’s Unspoken, a special brand of queer feature peppered with Jewish cultural specificity. Writer/director Jeremy Borison, who came out at the age of nineteen, molds using pieces of his past. The unique perspective of Borison focusing on homophobia during the Holocaust gives the movie a particular flavor different from other titles in this burgeoning genre. Audiences will find it easy to connect to the themes of being an outsider and the hunt for belonging. Queer audiences, however, will be those most immersed in Unspoken. The past overlaps the present, reminding us to never forget it, lest we are bound to repeat it again and again.
Teenage Noam (Charlie Korman) has just lost his Opa (the German nickname for ‘grandfather’), and unexpectedly, he uncovers a secret history directly relating to the Holocaust. A handwritten note hidden within Opa’s belongings leads Noam down a path of self-discovery. Opa, it seems, was hiding a secret love affair with a mysterious stranger known only as “M. When tasked with a class presentation about “keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive,” the teacher pairs Noam with the nerdy-cute Jonah (Michael Zap). Together, the two form the bones of their topic: the unsung victims of the Holocaust. Many of the takeaways are quite horrific to even contemplate. Apparently, homosexuality was not decriminalized until nearly two decades after this genocide ended—gay people were saved from concentration camps, only to be immediately put into prisons. Can Jonah and Noam uncovering M’s identity, baking it into the horrors of the Holocaust?
As the duo get deeper into Holocaust lore, Borison positions the bonds of their friendship to tighten its grip. Noam’s feelings towards Jonah develop naturally. Through ultra close-ups and emphasis on skin-to-skin contact, Noam’s innermost passions crackle with electricity. This can be tangibly felt in each scene they share together. At the same time, Noam’s straight female bestie (Liz Richman) practically throws herself at his feet. Despite being close friends and pressures from all around them to become a couple, Noam very much does not have romantic feelings for her. The script fascinatingly juxtaposes Noam’s own journey of discovering his sexuality against uncovering the past of his Opa. If Opa was queer, surely it must be okay for Noam to be so as well? Weirdly enough, Noam’s mother does not seem supportive of his thirst for answers. In fact, she would rather Opa’s secrets stay buried. To add a final layer of pressure onto Noam’s plate, his sister’s wedding happens to fall during the same tumultuous period. That would be a lot for anyone to handle, let alone a growing teenager.
Unspoken‘s dated sweetness would presumably include few surprises, yet Borison manages to pull the rug out from the viewer on more than one occasion. On a personal level, not all of these work. In fact, I would go as far as saying that the resolution for a couple of the various plot threads underwhelms by not tying it all up in a fancy bow. Then again, thus is the nature of the beast. In real life, there are no clear-cut endings. Mileage may vary as to one’s preference for open-ended films. A lack of polish in this regard definitely makes the whole affair come across as more of a festival indie than a mainstream crowd pleaser at times.
Nevertheless, Unspoken comes away with a bold underline on the Jewish identity of its lead character. Acting from Charlie Korman impresses in the lead role; he paints Noam as a vulnerable youth desperately clinging to heterosexual ideals. The authenticity in this struggle could only come from personal experience. I have to imagine parts of Unspoken are deeply rooted in truth. Providing interesting takeaways useful for any queer youth, Jeremy Borison channels his religious trauma in this surprising, breakaway festival hit.
Unspoken screened at 2024’s Cleveland International Film Festival.
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