Deaf follows a young deaf woman and her hearing partner, who are expecting a baby, unable to know whether their child will be hearing or deaf until birth. A beautiful, nuanced depiction of their journey, the film's clever use of sound and silence immerses us in Ángela's experience and explores the struggles she faces, given the inadequacies of the world for deaf people.

All screenings of Deaf will have descriptive subtitles.

The Garden Cinema View:

Deaf is a sensitive and deeply moving exploration of the complexities a deaf mother faces raising a hearing child. Ángela, the deaf protagonist, lives a fulfilling and independent life until motherhood brings society's ableism into sharp focus, alongside unexpected new challenges.How do you connect with a child that has access to a world you do not and an environment which refuses to use sign language? How do you stay close to your hearing partner when postpartum exhaustion hits, and time becomes scarce? At the film's centre is a birth scene that starkly reveals the dangers deaf women face due to non-inclusive healthcare services.

Despite the important issues it raises, the film avoids didacticism and melodrama. Ángela is refreshingly imperfect, and the answers she seeks are never straightforward. This nuanced debut by Eva Libertad features a fantastic central performance by her deaf sister Miram Garlo and draws from real-life collaboration with deaf mothers.

Cast:
Miriam Garlo, Álvaro Cervantes, Elena Irureta