Cinema began in silence, and music was its first voice. Even after dialogue became standard, some filmmakers stripped away words, relying on music, imagery, and rhythm to convey emotion and narrative. Through the Only Music Speaks section, the 22nd JIMFF brings together a remarkable selection of these works. The lineup features restored films by Armenian master Artavazd Pelechian, showcased at Cannes Classics 2026; Shindo Kaneto’s masterpiece The Naked Island, which turns human existence and nature into music; Aleksander Kott’s Test, a haunting meditation on silence and tragedy; Aki Kaurismäki’s silent feature Juha; and Michał Kosakowski’s found-footage work Holofiction, re-edited with music from over 3,000 Holocaust films. Spanning eras and borders, these masterpieces now meet our audience.