One hundred years from the history of two families and the history of a country: Reinhard Jirgl's "The Silence" is the monumental epic of the long 20th century in Germany. It begins with a photo album, the oldest pictures over eighty years old: one hundred photographs of two families, one from East Prussia and the other from Lower Lusatia. Two world wars, inflation, flight, and displacement have allowed these two families to survive through five political systems, from the imperial era to the present day. Following the one hundred photographs, Jirgl tells stories of injuries, love, and betrayal. "The Silence" confirms his exceptional status.