Movies about deaf are popular in USA, but in Poland – no. Why?
I think because the people who can hear know little or nothing at all about the disabled people and exactly the World of Silence. People know about some disabled: physically disabled, blind, mentally ill, but what about deaf? They don't know much about them.
Now I'll present to you some movies about deafness and deaf people:
CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOOD, USA
This is a romantic-drama film about hard love between speech teacher and deaf woman. It shows that they can be together despite the difficulties, barriers...
Through deaf eyes , USA
Documentary movie tells the story of deaf culture in USA from the 19th century to present.
DEAF LIFE, POLAND
"Deaf Life" is based on two major themes. The first one illustrates the problems faced by people affected by the dysfunction: isolation from the world of sounds, lack of understanding, sometimes scornful laugh ... The second topic of hearing proves that the lack of hearing does not constitute a barrier to their success, even dance.
SEE THE SILENCE, POLAND
Kasia is a sensitive teenager who dreams of becoming an actress. This is her story,which is the main theme of the new web series Fri: "See the silence. " The show presents her relationship with the family, contacts with peers, his first love. Actors do not use words, but are fluent in sign language.
And now please tell us your impressions after watching the trailers of the above films. What do you think is the difference between "normal" movies, except that the main language is sign language?
I like those videos. They show the main problemof deaf people and it is not their ears dysfunction but imposibility to communicate with hearing people. It's not their fault since can't hear but our, that we don't know, we're not interested how to communicate with others. We can sometimes see how much problems we have communicating with family of friends, with hearing people, so how we could know how to do that with deaf ones?
ReplyDeleteWe're interested in it when we meet someone deaf, if not - "why should we take an effort to learn, to search info"? Anyway I had this pleasure that I know few persons who were somehow disabled in different levels, f.e. my granpa who just lost a little of his ability to hear due to age, my bf who lost about 20% and friend of mine who more don't hear than hear :)
Living near them teaches me how to behave and when I think how little I knew about disability.
Why don't schools teach how to communicate with disabled people, not only deaf ones? Ofc I'm not talking about teaching whole Sign Language because it will be just another lessons which young people will hate only because they HAVE TO learn, and they are not doing it from pleasure and their own will. but hey, can you imagine how easy would be cheating on test if whole class could use Sign Langueage?;)
But let's go back to the topic.
You are asking why in Poland movies about deaf people are not popular. I don't know how many people are deaf in Poland (for sure too many), but I guess reason is simple and sad - society is completely not interested in it. What comes after it - it is not worthwhile from economic point of view. You know how it work, if company won't earn much from movie they won't want to sponsore it.
I'd like to see this romance ;D I believe it's hard for people from two different worlds to live togethereven if they love each other.
For hearing person - like me - who really appreciate sounds especially in videos, it's weird to watch soundless film, I just feel strange.
In my opinion film or wizualisation shares on three important parts: video, audio and presented world. If we cut out one of this parts film may loose sens. I need sound, silence somehow hurts.
Although I know people who can't hear well, I still don't know if they're thinking about importance of our senses, f.e. 'it's better to be deaf than blind'. Somehow it's hard to imagine, but I'd prefer (if we even can say thay way) be deaf than blind. Impossibility to see seems to me far away worse.
From technical side, I'd like Kasia's films to be better montaged :P
After watching that films I need to say that It wasn't easy to watch. On last movie I made louder and louder and still didn't hear voice. I expected to hear a dialogue between people, music. It's difficult to be an deaf actor because you can't do f.e. driving a car or wash the dishes and speak in sign language in the same time.
ReplyDeleteAs we remeber, not that far ago, there were only soundless movies. Many of them were good.
ReplyDeleteSound in movies is not so important. We could watch without it. You can try watch movie in some unknown language and you will get the main thread, probably the same is in movies without any sound at all.
Good point Piotr, about soundless films from silent movie epoch, after all it was normal not so long ago.
ReplyDeleteBut I can't agree that sound is not important, I think you are just somehow mistaken in interpretation. Of course we don't need sound to know the plot, but to feel. Music makes probably more than a half of mood. It can make us feel happiness or to feel uneasy, you can try watching Black Swan with music and without. It'd be just like watching two different films.
The key to know the plos is language, with music or without you need to know the way actors are communicating, whatever they use polish, japanese or sign language. I often watch anime in japanese only with eng subtitles because english dubbing in anime makes me sick, it is just creepy. I just can't watch anime without oryginal japanese talking. This sound has an effect on my reception of the movie. Music, sounds, voices - all of it creates a world. Hearing a voice we can judge what character may have a person, is it nice or not? There is also a difference when you watch on a panorama of dark wood swinging on the wind, and seeing the same picture with deep sound which makes we really can feel shivers!
On my specialization (IT, Multimedia) there is a masters project focusing on audiodescription of movies for deaf people. From what I remember it's a interface that is to make adding subtitles a easy operation with special subtitles describing background sounds in the movie.
ReplyDeleteWatching these movies I realized how little we know about deaf people. We even don`t know how to recognize deaf person because in Poland they usually hide from others or going out with someone who knows sign language. And I understand this fear.
ReplyDeleteJust because of that the world has to allow access to information, to entertainment to lead normal life them.
In Polish television we can watch information programs translated to sign language (especially in TVP2) but it`s not popular. I don`t understand why. It doesn`t change anything for me moreover can be watched by deaf.
Movie about Kasia was intresting. I got used to silence and watched with curiously. If movie is well done, sign language is no barrier.
It was very touching...
ReplyDeleteI liked the film "Children of the lesser God" very much. Deaf people have very difficult lives but I don't disagree with the fact that people has less knowlege about this disability than the others. In Poland deaf people and other disabled are getting more and more help every year. The citizens of Poland give one percent of their taxes to many charity foundations that help disabled people. Polish government tries to change the law to make life easier for those people.
I think that our country isn't the best as it comes to disabled people. I have seen recently some short reportage on Tv about how public institutions are adjusted for people on wheelchair (or for women with kids in trolleys) and it is disastrous that there are no approach roads or elevetaros in a lot of such facilities. And we know about those people in Poland, so I can't imagine how many obstacles deaf people meet in their everyday life.
ReplyDeleteLast semester during my English course I had to watch some old movie without sound (it was originally without sound) and I couldn't understand a lot from it. I think I got used to the sound which usually sorrounds the movie.
The last movie you have attached is good because there are subtitles telling what those persons are talking about - but without it, it would be hard to understand anything.
In my opinion main difference between as called "normal" movies, and this, where main language are gestures is that spectator has to pay more attention on gestures, and he has to be more careful and focused on watching this kind of movie. Films with soundtrack are much easier to watch because actors play is supported by sound, which can influence on our final perception. It is great challenge for film crew to produce film in this way. Actors play have to be very expressive and also very intuitive for spectator. They can be as good as this with sound, but i will never have the same fillings about them as deaf people because i have got comparison. But yesterday i watched football match without regular sound, having reggae instead, and my feelings were different from this, when i watch it witch the sound of crowd and the arena in background.
ReplyDeleteThese films are interesting because they often use other means of expression than we have to do mostly. Well, we should remember about people with disabilities and give them the opportunity to participate in social life including entertainment.
ReplyDeleteSign language films seem to be very distracting for me. But it's just me. When people swing their arms all the time in front of me while talking I just tell them to stop. I'm used to verbal communication so every other stimulus can be misinterpreted.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand I don't see really a point in making sign language movies. Most of us go to cinema and read the subtitles. Let's fight for the right to choose whether you want to watch a film on TV with subtitles or without them.
When I started watching these movies I needed to be very focused. It was more difficult without regular sound, but after a while became easier.
ReplyDelete'Deaf Movies' are not so different than others, but I had to change my way of watching - it is almost impossible to watch and do some other activity in the same time ;)
Films without sound are hard to seeing for people which use everyday speak language. I think it is true. On my example when I see film where actresses use own hands to tell something it seems to be boring for me and it gets nervous me. I must hear some voices to be satisfied from watching movie. In my opinion films where main language is sign language are difficult to watch for healthy people and only a few of us like to watch this kind of films. I prefer normal movies where people use their tongue to speak.
ReplyDeleteThe movies presented in the article show us the difficulties standing before the disabled people. There are not enough investments helping them in their everyday functionality. People are not aware of the problems that such a people need to face each day. I can't imagine that I will anything ever heard or seen... even worse. Unfortunately, this can happen to each of us as a result of such an accident. I admit that this was very afraid, especially in Poland, where nothing is suitable for such people. I can't In my opinion movies of this type are a good way to bring such a knowledge to everyone.
ReplyDelete