This clip from “The Silent Revolution” is a critical moment in the protest which the students are pursuing in the film. Children living in East Germany decide to think for themselves when they hear news that people just like them are being persecuted outside of East Germany. The students agree to have a moment of silence for the innocent people being killed. This clip shows the rage of the teacher, which in this film represents the authoritarian system trying to keep the children compliant. This is the moment where Erik, who is perceived as being the least willing to unite with his classmates in their revolution, under pressure breaks the silence and tries to explain to his professor what the silence is for. He explains that their silence is a “sign of protest”. In this clip you can see that Erik immediately regrets speaking out as the view of the camera flips from Erik to his classmates urging him to stay strong. As the film progresses it is clear that Erik’s attempt to comply with the system is thrown back in his face when the protest is under investigation. The film shows the obsession of authoritarian systems to place blame or convict a single ringleader in a large movement to scare the others into conforming. Erik, who in this clip is obviously the weakest in support of the revolution, is turned into a scapegoat because he speaks out when everyone else is silent. The suspense in this clip is amplified with the added audio. The audio also allows for anticipation that this is not the end of the revolt, but only the beginning.