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The Words of Silence
 
Length: 41 min
Released: 2001
Ages: College
Adult
 
Buy DVD:
$195.00  
 
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Meet four extraordinary people who happen to be deaf ; an award-winning actress, a percussionist, a flamenco dancer and a mime. These talented performers reveal the unique landscape of the deaf, where silence is made of colors, perceptions and vibrations. Sign language and exceptional visual sensitivity overcome the absence of sound.
From the interviews and performances, one realizes that deafness is not only a medical diagnosis but a cultural phenomenon as well. Emmanuelle Laborit, the actress, points out that sign language uses not only the hands, but also the face, the body and the surrounding space. She has worked in the theatre with hearing actors, an experience that enhanced both her own skills as well as the skills of the hearing actors. They learned to communicate more with their bodies and become less dependent on words for expression.
Many hearing people have misconceptions about the deaf. Emmanuelle concludes "They think the deaf are unhappy but they’re wrong … we deaf people are chatterboxes and extremely high spirited. Perhaps because our past was filled with suffering, we want to forget and live."

A closed captioned version is available. Please specify when ordering.
 
 
"This is a superb look into a world few of us can really begin to understand. Simply excellent. Highly recommended." Educational Media Reviews Online
"A video that is both thoughtful and thought-provoking: highly recommended for educators at a high school and a college level." Library Journal
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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