The first silent film to win an award in ninety years is doing more than that – it’s sweeping the board at every ceremony going. But will The Artist‘s unprecedented success herald a new trend of homages to the silent films which continue to shape modern pop culture? Nicola Marchant finds out more…

Secretly, we are all a teeny weeny bit Sedatephobic. That’s right; we fear silence. The awkward silence on a first date, the uncomfortably long pause after a joke bombs, the too-silent bedroom as you try to ‘lose yourself in the moment’, the creepy basement… it’s no good denying it. We want to fill silence. Which is why, when treating yourself to a spectacular silent film (in celebration of this week’s hottest release, The Artist), we strongly advise you drink heavily, to ease the tension…

If you thought Gone With The Wind was long, then brace yourselves because Cinématon takes the biscuit. Later this month it will screened publicly for the first time in Avignon France before appearing across cinemas internationally. Now as much as we love films, we can’t think of anything worse than going to the cinema to watch a six day long silent movie.