Sound and Fury: Six Years Later is an engaging look at what has happened to the Artinians since their family saga captured audiences around the world six years earlier. At the conclusion of the first film, six-year-old Heather’s parents chose not to undergo the surgery for cochlear implants.

In this stand-alone follow-up film, viewers learn of Heather’s eventual surgery, and the decisions of her two younger brothers, her mother, her deaf aunt, and her two deaf cousins to do the same. Now twelve and living on Long Island, Heather is the only deaf child in her school. She plays basketball and volleyball, stays near the top of her class and is popular with her hearing peers. Though she got the implants later than many who undergo the same procedure, Heather’s speech is understandable and she delights in her ability to communicate.

Throughout the film, Heather still signs, and slides easily between the hearing world she is now a part of and the signing deaf world of her parents. Heather’s father, who was originally resistant to the implant remarks that, through observation and education, he has learned how useful the process can be and how glad he is that his children have opted for the procedure. This remarkable film is a testament not only to the success of medical advances, but to the enduring love that allows family members to grow and adapt.

Western Psychological Association 2007