Great observation, @alexlapointe. I agree.
When silence is befriended and shared, what it brings is far from uncomfortable. Deeper bonding. Wordless fluency of eyes and face.
I think humans who have strong attachments with the animal kingdom also understand non-verbal comm better.
As a filmmaker, I wonder how you play with scripted/dialogued scenes, versus non-speaking ones.
I very much agree with silence allowing deeper bonding.
With films, I try to explore and play around with both dialogue and silence. I don't like it when it's all about talking. Silence reveals a lot as well.