World Deaf Day – Prominent Related Movies

A world of absolute silence can only be experienced and fathomed by those from the deaf community. Advanced technologies, sign languages, and other aids have always enabled and fortified the communication of deaf people around the world. In spite of all that is at their disposal, their challenges and struggles are conspicuous.

In order to recognize the rights of deaf people all around, World Deaf Day is celebrated. And it falls on the last Sunday of September every year. The World Federation of the Deaf initiated it in 1958. And this year World Deaf Day was on September 25^th.

On this World Deaf Day, while raising awareness about the challenges of deaf people, it may be also good to sit down and watch a few movies. In the listed movies key characters play the role of the deaf or where sign languages are given prominence.

Movie: Silenced

Year: 2011

Duration: 2h 2m

Language: Korean

Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk

Cast: Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Hyeon-soo Kim

IMDB rating:  8.00

Widower Kang is the new art teacher who joins Ja-ae Academy, a boarding school for deaf children. It is the first time for him in such a school. And he gradually learns that a disability in the body leads to an impairment mentally. Soon enough he witnesses barbaric acts by the faculty on the hapless kids. Seo Yoo-jin, a social worker whom he meets accidentally on the day he arrives in the town to join the school, steps up to help him. Even sexual molestation cases come up in which the principal’s name also is involved. Kang does everything possible to wage a legal battle and becomes the voice of the children. The plot is loosely based on true and gruesome incidents that occurred at Gwangju Inhwa School for the Deaf. One of the soul-touching movies to watch on this World Deaf Day.

Documentary: Audible

Year: 2021

Duration: 37m

Language: English

Director: Mathew Ogens

Cast: Amaree McKinstry-Hall

IMDB rating:  6.7 

 “Teddy is gone. He was my best friend.” Teddy was on the school football team at Maryland School for the Deaf. For Amaree and his teammates, the unexpected death of Teddy is a painful memory. However, they have to overcome the grief and concentrate on getting back to winning days. Their journey explains how hearing teams don’t want to play them, and how most coaches do not like to lose to deaf coaches. But they have to prove deaf people can do it as well. So, don’t give up!

Movie: Hear Me Out

Year: 2021

Duration: 1h 26m

Language: French

Director: Pascal Elbé

Cast: Sandrine Kiberlain, Pascal Elbé, Valérie Donzelli

IMDB rating:  6.5 

Professor Antoine Serano’s aspects of professional, social, and personal life are affected when he realizes he is turning deaf. A simple man who leads a normal life, Antoine begins to encounter unpleasant experiences from all quarters due to hearing impairment. When his colleagues, students, and everyone else has reasons to be unhappy with him, Violette becomes his saving grace. Violette is Antoine’s neighbor’s daughter who is mute. Befriending the little girl not only changes his self-belief but also triggers a complete turnaround in his life. The plot subtly portrays how one can accept one’s own handicaps and be contented in life.

Movie: The Parts You Lose

Year: 2019

Duration: 1h 57m

Language: English

Director: Christopher Cantwell

Cast: Aaron Paul, Scoot McNairy, Mary Elizabeth Winstead

IMDB rating:  5.7

Wesley is a deaf boy whose simple daily routine is disturbed when he comes across an unconscious man on his way home from school. For some reason, the boy takes care of the wounded man in the family barn without ever telling his parents. Later, he comes to know from the police that the man is part of a gang that was involved in a robbery. But by then, he develops a rapport with him and the man even helps Wesley to fight back against those who belittle him. As the ratings suggest, the plot is not convincing but you will like Wesley.

Movie: Marie’s Story

Year: 2014

Duration: 1h 31m

Language: French

Director: Jean-Pierre Améris

Cast: Isabelle Carré, Ariana Rivoire, Brigitte Catillon

IMDB rating:  7.4

Based on the true story of Marie Heurtin, the plot of the movie is set in 1985. As a deaf and blind girl, Marie needed someone who could grasp her wavelength and be for her. The Larnay Institute run by religious nuns near Poitiers in west-central France did look after deaf girls. Marie being blind and deaf, the nuns only tried to accommodate her. But seeing her antics the Mother Superior refused to accept her.

Meanwhile, Sister Marguerite who did have a fleeting moment with the girl feels the urge to teach and mend her. After much deliberation, Sister Marguerite obtains permission to be Marie’s mentor. It is just the beginning of a strong bond between the two.

Movie: Barfi

Year: 2012

Duration: 2h 28m

Language: Hindi

Director: Anurag Basu

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Ileana D’Cruz

IMDB rating:  8.1

A romantic, comedy-drama that tells the story of Barfi, who is deaf and mute, and Jhilmil who is autistic. The location of the movie, songs, and of course the acting skills of the significant actors combined, makes it one of the sweet movies to watch on World Deaf Day. After a failed love saga between Barfi and Shruti, he is again drawn to another woman. Running away from her parents Jhilmil comes to Barfi’s place and gradually into his life. The sweet and simple connection between the two reiterates the fact that love makes everything perfect.

Here you have a few more movies that can be added to your list to make World Deaf Day more memorable.

• A Scene at the Sea (1991)
• Sound and Fury (2000)
• Read My Lips (2001)
• Black (2005)
• Iqbal (2005)
• The Hammer (2010)