Fraternal twins are one of humanity’s great mysteries. You’ve heard how they can feel one another’s pain, or that they can have a language all of their own. That was certainly the case for June and Jennifer Gibbons, identical twins from Barbados who only communicated with one another, but fell into silent, nearly catatonic states when separated. And when together, they created incredible, elaborate works of fiction. Their story is told in the acclaimed Cannes film, The Silent Twins, starring Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrance.
Wright and Lawrance star as June and Jennifer Gibbons, twins who lived a life few could understand after their family moved from Barbados to the U.K. There, the girls withdrew into their own isolated world due to bullying and misunderstanding by others. The twins spoke in their own language, a sped-up Bajan Creole, that it seemed only they could understand. Eventually, the girls spoke only to one another. Battles with drugs and alcohol, admittance into psychiatric facilities, and more soon drove the twins to a tragic separation.
Their story was covered widely by journalist Marjorie Wallace. The film is based on her book.
Behind the camera is Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Smoczyńska, best known for 2015’s The Lure. After its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes last May, The Silent Twins will hit theaters on September 16th.
