How do we talk about difficult subjects with young children? The first trailer for The Place of No Words suggests the best place to have tough talks is a sprawling fantasy world that is bursting with a cornucopia of creatures and magical settings. But no matter how bright things appear, a dark truth lingers under the surface of the adventure.
In the trailer, director and writer Mark Webber stars as a father who has been diagnosed with a terminal disease. He and his wife, played by Webber’s real-life spouse Teresa Palmer, struggle to tell their son, who is played by their actual three-year-old son Bodhi Palmer, about how serious this diagnosis is. As the boy gets closer to the truth, he mingles with monsters, befriends fairies and views himself and his father as vikings.
Knowing that a real-life family is starring in the narrative adds another emotional layer to the heartbreaking story. When Bodhi asks “Where do we go when we die?” you can feel the weight of the question falling upon both the actor and the father. The heaviness of the scene makes you crave to escape into the beautifully shot fantasy scenes sprinkled throughout the trailer.
A year after its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, The Place With No Words will reach wider audiences through VOD on October 23rd.
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