Khavaj, a young mixed martial arts fighter, fled Chechnya when his brother discovered his homosexuality and promised to kill him, under the persecution of Ramzan Kadyrov’s anti-gay regime. Now in Brussels, the shock of exile and death threats cause him to develop psychogenic aphonia, leaving him unable to speak. The only link that he keeps with Chechnya are the voicemails left by his mother. Winner of Best Mid-Length Documentary Award at Hot Docs, Silent Voice traces Khavaj’s first months as he adjusts to life in Belgium. Forced to live in total anonymity to escape the attention of members of the Chechen diaspora, he tries to build a new identity.