#lifeanddeaf

[gotinywhispers-blog]

Review: Life And Deaf

Before I get started with my review I have to say that watching this documentary has got me slightly passionate. I must say that the fact that British Sign Language is not taught at schools let alone made compulsory to the curriculum in the UK has shocked me. Bearing in mind my small knowledge of sign language came from my school when I was ten it was still not enough for me to be fluent. 

If you live in the United Kingdom I highly encourage you to sign this petition, it’s not right that other languages are placed in high priority when the very people who rely on sign language as their communication are left out. Please, please, please sign this petition: Make British Sign Language part of the curriculum. 

Now onto my review:

Life and Deaf immerses us into the world of the Deaf community and shows the audiences what life is like without sound. To emphasize the point there is no narration, no soundtrack and the people who are the focus of the documentary communicate in British Sign Language. For the hearing audience and those who aren’t fluent in BSL there are subtitles.

 Life and Deaf focuses on four members of the St Johns Deaf Club and touches on the many themes from a couple, Tina and Mario Costi, who are expecting a baby and Abigail who is deciding whether or not to have a Cochlear Implant much to her mother’s opposition. And the St John’s DFC who are hoping to win the football tournament.

I found the documentary to be both humorous and moving, mostly because it had made me reflect on my own experiences. Particularly with Abigail when she undergoes the process on whether or not she is suitable for a Cochlear Implant. One thing that had struck me was the slightly fierce opposition by her mother who is concerned that once Abigail has the operation she would cease to use or at least undervalue Sign Language and the Deaf culture which she is raised in to be part of. In the end Abigail goes ahead with the Cochlear Implant.

Tina and Mario who are expecting a child together are wondering whether their child would be deaf or hearing.Tina laments how the midwives would apologize when announcing a baby is deaf as though it were a negative thing. Mario believes that if the baby is a boy he will likely be deaf as that was how it ran in his family. To his astonishment the baby boy was found to be hearing and thus broke the ‘Costi tradition’.

At the end St John’s DFC made it to the final of the tournament but come second place against Fulham DFC. Mario says that the team should be proud of their achievements and that they played like men. 

Life and Deaf has brought awareness to the Deaf community in a simple and beautiful way, by not having a narrator it allowed the cast to tell their own stories through the wonderfully expressive Sign Language. By doing this it has allowed the audience to connect more to the cast and draw focus on the themes that are on the forefront of the Deaf community. I believe that this documentary will help bring more understanding from the hearing world to the Deaf. Rating: 9/10

[worldofelisa]

Tagged by @lifeanddeaf

1. Your name in song titles:

Eine Kliene Nachtmusik

Let Me Fall

Incantation

Secrets

All the Right Moves

2. How did you choose your url? An old friend of mine Caleb came up with it when he was trying to get me to do Youtube and it just kind of stuck. 

3. What’s your middle name?

Joyce

4. If you could be a fictional/fairytale being, what would you be?

Witch

5. Favorite colors?

Blue and Red would be top two, followed by purple and yellow. I also like white and black. 

6. Favorite song at the moment? Hmm, I’ve been having trouble with music lately but either 

Can’t help falling in love- Haley Reinhart or

Czárdás

7. Top 4 fandoms? Lilo and Stitch, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, buffy the vampire slayer

(The only reason Once Upon A Time and Supernatural aren’t up there is because I am soooo behind!)

8. Why do you enjoy tumblr?

I really do now! I am currently in between two countries, so I find it hard to connect within a deaf community and when I go to deaf events I tend to be really shy because my ASL is so bad so it is really nice to be on here and talk to other people who go through similar things and people I can just talk to or listen to- people like me. It makes me a lot happier!

9. Tag nine mutuals to do this:

@casscrowley, @goldenlilyboy, @deandwerprulestheworld 

(That is all of my mutuals I think??? A lot of the blogs I follow don’t follow me back... whoops!)

[kelly--anderson]

lifeanddeaf replied to your post: IM BORED

I really dont care.. honestly have fun play TorD

I dare you to stop talking to me and my family because we don't talk to molesters/rapists. Bye.

[shane-valentine-blog]

lifeanddeaf replied to your post: lifeanddeaf replied to your quote: It pains me...

Why Mess? I thought they were friends?

......he messes with all of his friends

[shane-valentine-blog]

lifeanddeaf replied to your quote: It pains me so much that I cant speak to Kent IC...

Kent didnt make it a rule at all.

LOL I TYPO'D I MEANT KELLY 

[kelly--anderson]

lifeanddeaf replied to your post: lifeanddeaf replied to your quote: I genuinely...

Oh yeah I know Im in that RP :/

Lol alright, hope you're having fun in it.

[kelly--anderson]

lifeanddeaf replied to your quote: I genuinely hate it when 1D members are portrayed...

oopswell Kendall is from BTR

.....

I know lol, I was talking about Dax the Harry Styles fc.

[tallisnews]

Life & Deaf wins prestigious award

THE LIFE & DEAF SHORT FILM HAS WON A PRESTIGIOUS AWARD AT THE ZEBRA INTERNATIONAL POETRY FILM FESTIVAL, BERLIN

The short film 'That's not all of me', part of a Life & Deaf Association project that was funded by Royal Borough of Greenwich, was shortlisted from nearly 870 short films from 63 countries. Originally launched to tremendous acclaim at London's Southbank Centre in the Spring 2012, ‘That’s not all of me’ is based on lines of poetry representing the ‘voices’ of more than 50 deaf young people across the UK who have submitted poetry to the website – www.lifeanddeaf.co.uk   The film results from a true collaboration between creative professionals and the deaf students who participated as consultants, actors, make-up artists and producers. It was described by one of the Zebra festival judges as “A beautiful piece that uses the communicative power of film and poetry to share the voices of a group of young poets from London. The jury selects “Life & Deaf both for its film technique and its emotive power”.

Two of the young deaf poets/actors travelled to Berlin for the event; Nadeem Islam, 15, is a student at Thomas Tallis secondary school and Kayleigh Goacher, 16, attends Shooters Hill post-16 campus. They were accompanied by the film director, Eelyn Lee, and two of the Life & Deaf Association directors, Jane Thomas and Katie Ford. During the film festival Nadeem and Kayleigh took to the stage to represent the project in two Q&A sessions. Kayleigh reflected “I had a fantastic weekend learning how to socialise with people around the world, being independent and answering questions about our film. We had so many positive feedback”. Nadeem described his experience as “fun and educational at the same time, seeing films and how they make the poetry come alive. Life & Deaf is about deaf young poet from across the UK expressing their feeling on a poem. It is important to share all the feeling we have around, wake up the audience so they can feel how we feel!” Jane Thomas reflected “Participating in the Zebra film festival affirms the value of creative education and integration of the arts into all learning. The students involved in the project learned independence, creativity, free thinking and a sense of themselves. They learned that they have a voice in the world”.

‘That’s not all of me’ will be launched on the Life & Deaf website in February 2013. The Life & Deaf UK tour will take place in the Summer 2013 to raise deaf awareness among audiences across the nation using a pop-up exhibition, film screenings and live performances.

For further information please contact:

Katie Ford, Jane Thomas or Helena Ballard

The Life & Deaf Association    

[email protected]   

07748 104 051  

Twitter - @LifeAndDeaf