This film is 25 minutes in length. If you know someone who is deaf or hearing impaired, I suggest you find time to view this film. It also depicts how deafness affects the family. Well done, deep and touching film.
Raised on the Southern Oregon Coast, now retired on the Southern Oregon Coast. I was a hard of hearing child who grew up to be a deafened adult. I share and write about deafness, hearing loss and other things I find interesting. I am a 50 something year old woman who could be anyone's mother, grandmother or friend. I've traveled the U.S., and I've lived in Europe. I'm currently residing near the beach with Fabulous Husband and 11 year old son. ~ Joyce Edmiston
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Joyce,
ReplyDeleteNot sure where you found this, but it was amazing! I'm going to share with everyone! Love seeing BSL and how it is different from ASL. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi, Amy,
ReplyDeleteI don't remember where I first saw it. It may have been during one of my "ASL captioned videos" searches on YouTube.
Nothing like how I see awareness ! the attitudes I got would have needed an X-rating to film. I think there is too much PC about to tell it how it is.... It's OK for those that want an sanitised view of loss....
ReplyDeleteMM, I'm sorry you have had such a hard time of it. We don't all experience the same things. It does not mean that someone else's experience is "sanitized" or not true, just because it's different from yours.
ReplyDeleteJust making the point the real issues are glossed over in favour of more 'acceptable' and tugging at the heart strings approach. I find the language thing an complete diversion from what can often be attitudes bordering on hatred.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting thing is media prefers to cover females deaf, one can only assume that the male would get less empathy. So yes there is sexism included in awareness as well.
If you include 'happy endings' as well then I find these things misleading. Obviously deaf grow up with differing issues, but do we sacrifice the worst aspects just to portray an 'positive' image of the deaf community ? certainly the last 15 years yes.
What I noted was that deaf were apprehensive about portraying the more violent issues deaf suffered.... No Yin without Yang. But it amounts to suppression of the reality.
IThs video has been around a while now, this year. Its very good, whch I liked, and so did my Mum. I had to keep quiet when I shown this my Mum. So that was how interested she was. :)
ReplyDeleteMM, I just don't see what you are seeing to the extent you do. Don't begrudge another person's happiness or journey because yours wasn't/isn't. Don't suppress their happiness. Their experience is no less valid than yours. Read this young Deaf man's story here: http://www.thebuffandblue.net/?p=7819?
ReplyDeleteI think we need to show balance, that was the main point, not portray the agony ad infinitum obviously or you get empathy overload and people become immune to suffering. I wasn't suggesting my experience is 'worse' than someone else's, just that the basics of discrimination are never portrayed by deaf film makers without the language hard sell and pseudo awareness that detracts, I can't empathise with that aspect. It's how one human being sees another.
ReplyDeleteTypical of MM to pop up on here!
ReplyDeleteThanks to those who gave positive comments and it's great to see the film's still getting noticed and seen. I'm really pleased about that!
It was based on real life experiences, and though I'm sure that MM is right that it can be far worse, I've also had people say the film goes too far! Everyone's experiences are different, is the bottom line.
In the end, the problems people face when they belong in neither the hearing nor deaf worlds is real, and that's what we really wanted to show - how it's not easy and hopefully the film made some people think again.
Cheers
Charlie (writer)
Thank you for dropping by and elaborating on the film, Charlie.
ReplyDeleteI thought the film was wonderfully accurate from her view. Learning any new language is a challenge, and the older you become, the greater the challenge. Young children learn more quickly than adults, especially older adults.
I have lost my hearing as an adult. I'm not sure exactly when I actually became "deaf" but I struggle because I'm not fluent on an adult or college level with Signing, yet I can't hear as I used to.
Hearing people assume I hear better than I do, deaf people assume I can sign better than I do, yet I can do neither at the degree of their assumptions.
This wonderful film did justice of how it feels to struggle with not fitting here, nor there, and it certainly does make one think.
btw.., Charlie, did you get my email last week?
Bravo, about time someone made a film that become our voice for the deaf people who just want to fit in - either hearing world or the deaf world. I'm deaf but cannot sign just like this girl and went through the exact same thing as she did. This film renewed my hope in battling verus oppression.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by, Natasha and leaving your comment. I thought the film to be authentic and real, and as Mr. Swinborne explained, based on a true story. We need more films like this, and we need them in the mainstream.
ReplyDeletePlease do not use the inappropriate term - hearing impaired (or impairment). If I tell people that I am hearing impaired, they think something is wrong with me. However, if I tell people I am deaf or hard of hearing, they say nothing is wrong with me except that I can't hear or I do not hear well!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.eastersealscrossroads.org/blog/2011/september/deaf-vs-hearing-impaired
Hi, Anonymous, Thank you for stopping by. You are free to define your deafness with any of the terms. Where I grew up, I did not hear the term, "Hard of Hearing". We always used the term, Hearing Impaired for over 40 years of my life. It wasn't until I moved to the east that I heard the term Hard of Hearing. I'm neither a "hard" person nor a "hearing" person. Some people would prefer to be an impaired person over a hard person. :-) I am using the terms interchangeably. At church, and at all public areas where there are notices posted for us, I see more of the terms "Deaf" and "Hearing Impaired". I think this is really a regional thing and also a matter of preference. We've discussed this on the blog before. In your case, because you prefer another term, when talking with you, I would find out what your preference is and use it when talking with you.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of those things where it comes down to perspectives and personal preferences.