The Secret Life of Words (2005)

Director:

Isabel Coixet

Writer:

Isabel Coixet

Release Date:

21 October 2005 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A hearing impaired factory worker gives up her first holiday in years and instead travels out to an oil rig, where she cares for a man suffering from severe burns.

Plot Keywords:

Holiday | Oil Rig | Burn | Factory | Chicken Nugget

Awards:

22 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Sarah Polley	...	Hanna
Tim Robbins	...	Josef
Sverre Anker Ousdal	...	Dimitri (as Sverre Ousdal)
Javier Cámara	...	Simon
Danny Cunningham	...	Scott
Dean Lennox Kelly	...	Liam (as Dean Lenox Kelly)
Daniel Mays	...	Martin
Emmanuel Idowu	...	Abdul
Eddie Marsan	...	Victor
Steven Mackintosh	...	Doctor Sulitzer
Julie Christie	...	Inge
Reg Wilson	...	Factory Manager
Leonor Watling	...	Josef's friend's wife
Daphne Brown	...	Old Lady on Bus
Muriel Hobson	...	Old Lady on Bus
Joshua Miligan	...	Child (as Joshua Milligan)
Sheelagh Smith	...	Child
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nina Marléne
Peter Wright	...	Dullman (uncredited)

Directed by
Isabel Coixet

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Isabel Coixet

Produced by
Agustín Almodóvar	....	executive producer
Pedro Almodóvar	....	executive producer
Brendan J. Byrne	....	producer: UK
Mauricio Díez	....	executive producer
Esther García	....	producer
Colin McKeown	....	line producer: UK
Javier Méndez	....	associate producer
Jaume Roures	....	executive producer
Miss Wasabi	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Jean-Claude Larrieu		(director of photography) (as Jean Claude Larrieu)

Film Editing by
Irene Blecua

Casting by
Shaheen Baig

Production Design by
Pierre-François Limbosch

Costume Design by
Tatiana Hernández

Makeup Department
Ainhoa Eskisabel	....	hair stylist
Ana López Puigcerver	....	makeup artist (as Ana Lopez-Puigcerver)
Ana López Puigcerver	....	special makeup effects artist (as Ana López-Puigcerver)
Ana Urosa	....	makeup assistant

Production Management
Nicolás Tapia	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Víctor Cuadrado	....	third assistant director
Darren Fee	....	third assistant director: UK
Laia Piñol	....	third assistant director
Jesús Salcedo	....	third assistant director
Andrew Tohill	....	trainee assistant director: UK
Dani Torres	....	first assistant director
Fernando Trullols	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Alicia Arias	....	scenic painter
Stephen Aspley	....	swing gang: UK
Jim Barr	....	on-set dresser: UK
Samanta Biurrun	....	props assistant
Shane Bunting	....	prop buyer: UK
Adam Copper	....	swing gang: UK
Beverly Craig	....	scenic painter: UK
Jorge de Soto	....	second on-set dresser (as Jorge fernández de Soto)
Cole Doherty	....	construction manager: UK
Aude-Line Duliere	....	drawer
Serafín González	....	on-set dresser
Victoria Gómez	....	art department trainee
Shane Laverty	....	swing gang: UK
Sean McKeown	....	rigger: UK
Laura Musso	....	assistant set decorator
Ivan Nesbitt	....	swing gang: UK
Pilar Ordovás	....	property master (as Pilar Ordovas)
Montse Palacin	....	food stylist
Nigel Pollock	....	art director: UK
Sean Scott	....	scenic painter: UK
Paul Stewart	....	assistant art director: UK
Liam Taylor	....	rigger: UK
Ricard Zaplana	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Aitor Berenguer	....	sound mixer
Juan Dibarboure	....	boom operator
Patrick Ghislain	....	foley mixer
Patrick Ghislain	....	sound re-recording mixer
Simon Kerr	....	boom operator: UK
Julien Martin	....	assistant sound
Julien Naudin	....	foley artist: Spain
Fabiola Ordoyo	....	sound designer
Jaime Puig	....	sound consultant: Dolby
Deke Thompson	....	boom operator: UK
David Álvarez	....	assistant sound mixer: Spain (as David Alvarez)

Visual Effects by
Félix Bergés	....	digital effects artist: El Ranchito
Montse Capdevila	....	digital compositor: Molinare (as Montserrat Capdevila)
Nacho Cepero	....	digital compositor: Molinare
Carlos Cervera	....	digital effects producer: Molinare
Eduardo Díaz	....	digital effects artist: El Ranchito
Juancho Fernández	....	digital compositor: Molinare
David Flores de Vargas	....	digital transfer artist: Molinare
Carmen García	....	digital compositor: Molinare
Roberto Girón	....	infographist 3D artist: Molinare
Juanjo González	....	infographist 3D artist: Molinare
Tomás González	....	digital compositor: Molinare
Ñaña González	....	digital compositor: Molinare
Pablo Hernández-Meléndez	....	digital effects artist: El Ranchito
Juancar Irarrazabal	....	digital compositor: Molinare
Javier Jiménez	....	digital timer: Molinare
Joaquín Jordán	....	digital effects artist: El Ranchito
Javier Luján	....	digital transfer artist: Molinare
Edu Mateos	....	digital graphic artist: Molinare
Oceano Mateos	....	digital compositor: Molinare (as Océano Mateos)
Inma Nadela	....	digital effects artist: El Ranchito
Guillermo Orbe	....	digital effects artist: El Ranchito
Ferran Piquer	....	digital effects supervisor: Molinare
Pablo Polo	....	digital effects producer: Milinare
Johnny Raphael	....	digital graphic artist: Molinare (as Johnny Raphael Sardi)
Thorsten Rienth	....	digital effects artist: El Ranchito
Rubén Rivas	....	digital graphic artist: Molinare
Yela Román	....	digital effects producer: Molinare
Rafa Solorzano	....	digital effects artist: El Ranchito (as Rafael Solórzano)
Carlos Trijueque	....	digital effects artist: El Ranchito
José Miguel Zapata	....	digital artist: Orange window

Camera and Electrical Department
Alberto Arnal	....	best boy electric
Miguel Ángel Bardavio	....	camera loader: second unit
Saturnino Beltrán	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Raymond Carlin	....	grip assistant: UK (as Ray Carlin)
Isabel Coixet	....	camera operator
Noah Davis	....	clapper loader: UK
Jesús Fernández	....	key grip
Kiko Garcia	....	still photographer
Juan Manuel García	....	best boy electric (as Juan Manuel Garcia)
Emile Girao	....	camera loader
Juan Carlos Gorriz	....	first assistant camera
Emilio Guirao	....	second assistant camera
Glynn Harrison	....	crane operator: UK
Isaías Ibáñez	....	gaffer
Conor Kelly	....	focus puller: UK
Brian Livingstone	....	electrician: UK
Steven Livingstone	....	electrician: UK
Sergio Mantecón	....	best boy electric
Brett McCrum	....	electrician: UK
Giancarlo McDonnell	....	electrician: UK (as Carlo McDonnell)
Enrique Pérez	....	best boy electric
José Manuel Reboul	....	best boy electric
Laura Sanchez-Vizcaino	....	video assist operator (as Laura Sánchez Vizcaino)

Casting Department
Ana Sanz	....	casting: Spain

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Laura Agustín	....	assistant costume designer
Donna Hughes	....	costume assistant: UK
Genoveva Leco	....	costumer
Roberto Marchetti	....	wardrobe assistant
Raimondo Rudilla	....	wardrobe assistant
Susan Scott	....	costume assistant: UK
Rachael Webb-Crozier	....	costume assistant: UK

Editorial Department
Felisa Catalinas	....	post-production coordinator
Noemí Dulau	....	scanner
Florencia Handler	....	scanner
David Rocher	....	color grader
Pilar Rodriguez	....	negative cutter
Óscar Romero	....	additional editor
María Jesús Sánchez	....	negative cutter (as Maria Sánches-Morate)
Georgia Wyss	....	additional editor

Music Department
Radoka Rapaic	....	vocal coach: Sarah Polley
Miss Wasabi	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Ian Lewis	....	driver: action vehicles
Roy McManus	....	driver: cast

Other crew
Yuyi Beringola	....	script supervisor
Bridgeen Bradley	....	unit nurse: UK
Brian Breathnach	....	runner: UK
Brian Breathnach	....	translator: UK
Michael Canning	....	production assistant: UK
Stephen Darragh	....	runner: UK
Adela Donamaría	....	production secretary
Patrick Duncan	....	extras coordinator: UK
Diego Farías	....	second production assistant (as Diego Farias)
Concha Fontenla	....	second production assistant
Covadonga R. Gamboa	....	production coordinator
Lola García	....	office manager (as Lola Garcia)
Javier Giner	....	international relations
Beatriz Gordo	....	assistant production accountant
Aaron Gray	....	location scout: UK
Simon MacDermott	....	animal handler: UK
Ascen Marchena	....	production coordinator
Sarah Louise Maskey	....	production accountant: UK
Joseph McAuley	....	production assistant: UK
Paddy McCarney	....	location manager: UK
Marisa Mohedano	....	production coordinator
Yuriria Montero	....	production assistant
Wally Mount	....	location assistant: UK
Rafael Pajares	....	second production assistant
Diego Pajuelo	....	financial manager
Deborah Palomo	....	publicist
Bárbara Peiró	....	international relations (as Bárbara Peiró)
Juan Lorenzo Prada	....	production assistant
Radoka Rapaic	....	dialect coach: Sarah Polley (as Radokja Rapaic)
Javier Ruiz	....	administration assistant
María Paz Sancho	....	receptionist
Silvia Sancho	....	assistant production accountant
Rosa María Serrano	....	administration assistant
Óscar Valero	....	production accountant (as Oscar Valero)
Nick Walker	....	location assistant: UK
Michelle Walsh	....	production coordinator: UK
Camille Watson	....	production assistant: UK
Aislinn Whyte	....	production coordinator: UK
Andrew Wilson	....	location manager: UK
Arancha Yusti	....	assistant production accountant (as Arancha Yuste)

Thanks
John Berger	....	dedicatee
Inge Genefke	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• El Deseo S.A.
• Hotshot Films
• Mediapro
• Televisión Española (TVE)

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2006) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Diaphana Films (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Folkets Bio (2007) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Good Machine (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (200?) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2005) (Greece) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2006) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Shochiku Company (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Strand Releasing (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• TOBIS Film (2006) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Focus Features (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Impuls Home Entertainment (2006) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Mongrel Media (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• Noble Entertainment (2008) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Prorom Media-Trade (2005) (Romania) (all media)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Shochiku Company (2007) (Japan) (DVD)

Special Effects

• El Ranchito (special digital effects)
• Molinare (special digital effects)

Other Companies

• Autos Prado  transport: Spain
• Cinevent  insurance: Spain
• Coprisa  tax advisory and administration: Spain
• Cornejo  costumes: Spain
• EPC  camera systems: Spain
• Eastman Kodak  film: Spain
• Extras 2001  tax advisory and administration: Spain
• Forma y Color  set construction: Spain
• G & H Film & Television Services  transportation: UK
• Hotshot Films  production services: UK
• Iluminaciones Cinetel  grip and lighting equipment: Spain
• Legiscine  legal advisor: Spain
• Media Insurance Brokers  insurance: UK
• Megino S.L.  transportation: Spain (as Megino)
• Molinare  editing facilities: Spain
• Nexus 5  information technologies: Spain
• Rafael Hosteleria Internacional S.A.  catering: Spain (as Rafael)
• Simply Good Food  catering: UK
• Soundtrack  post-production audio: Spain
• Technicolor  laboratory: UK
• Travel Store  travel: Spain
• VFG Hire  camera grip and lighting: UK
• Viajes Esmérita S.A.  travel: Spain (as Viajes Emérita)
• Video Efecto  editing facilities: Spain

Also Known As:

"The Secret Life of Words" - International (English title), UK, USA
"La vida secreta de las palabras" - Spain
"La vida secreta de les paraules" - Spain (Catalan title)
"La vida secreta de las palabras" - Argentina, International (Spanish title), Uruguay
"A Vida Secreta das Palavras" - Brazil (festival title), Portugal
"A szavak titkos élete" - Hungary
"Das geheime Leben der Worte" - Germany
"I mystiki zoi ton lexeon" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"La vie secrète des mots" - Canada (French title) (imdb display title)
"La vita segreta delle parole" - Italy
"Sanojen salaisuus" - Finland (TV title)
"The Secret Life of Words" - France
"Zycie ukryte w slowach" - Poland (imdb display title)

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

English | Danish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Spain:13 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Netherlands:MG6 | Singapore:NC-16 | Hungary:16 | Germany:6 | Malaysia:U | Argentina:13 | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:Btl | Australia:M | South Africa:13L

Filming Locations:

Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK

Company:

El Deseo S.A.

Trivia:

The oil rig used was the Borgholm Dolphin rig that was docked in Belfast at the time.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: In order to fly out to the rig, Hanna would have had to do a three-day off-shore survival course. There seems to be no indication that she does this in the film.

Quotes:

Josef:I thought um, you and I, maybe we could go away somewhere. Together. One of these days. Today. Right now. Come with me.
Hanna:No, I don't think that's going to be possible.
Josef:Why not?
Hanna:Um, because I think that if we go away to someplace together, I'm afraid that, ah, one day, maybe not today, maybe, maybe not tomorrow either, but one day suddenly, I may begin to cry and cry so very much that nothing or nobody can stop me and the tears will fill the room and I won't be able to breath and I will pull you down with me and we'll both drown.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" (1964)

Soundtrack:

You've Made Me So Very Happy

Good and Underrated

Great performances, an original idea, good script - it's just a great movie, which nobody I know has seen.

I have no idea why this one didn't get better distribution, it certainly deserves it. The little quirks of the characters liven up the story, as does the interaction between Polley's disturbed nurse and Robbin's rough patient. Although you could see the ending coming a mile away, that was fine, as it seemed that was what was supposed to happen.

This is a good one when you're in the mood for a somewhat dark drama with romantic overtones. The romance doesn't get too much in the way of the drama, the drama doesn't go overboard into melodrama.