It is clear that the d/Deaf community is severely underrepresented in the film industry, and that there is a real lack of opportunities for d/Deaf actors. This week I'm looking at the recent inclusions of d/Deaf people in film, and how important this it is that this representation is authentic and sensitive.
A Quiet Place
What you probably didn’t know about the horror film A Quiet Place is that the d/Deaf teenage daughter is actually played by d/Deaf actress Millicent Simmonds, who lost her hearing before she turned one.
Simmonds relies on ASL to communicate, and the great thing about this film’s production is that d/Deaf mentor Douglas Ridloff was hired, as well as a personal interpreter, to be able to teach the cast sign language and ensure that each character came across as fluent.
The d/Deaf crew members had a lot of say in how each character would sign their parts, and the actual dialogue involved. If you re-watch the film, you’ll notice that each character signs slightly differently; the father’s signs are short and quick, when the mother signs her face is extremely expressive, and teenager Regan signs abruptly.
Simmonds is herself a d/Deaf activist and advocates for film sets to be accommodating to d/Deaf actors. Not only is it important for d/Deaf actors to have opportunities in film, but it is also necessary that interpreters and coaches are hired to ensure their stories are authentic.
Marvel’s Eternals
Marvel’s next film, Eternals, will be released this November. Among its cast is d/Deaf actress Lauren Ridloff (best known for playing Connie in AMC’s The Walking Dead). She is actually married to Douglas Ridloff, who supported the use of ASL in A Quiet Place. Ridloff was born d/Deaf to hearing parents.
Director Chloé Zhao has frequently spoken out about how she wants to diversify Marvel’s huge cast. In the comic books, Makkari is a hearing white man. Ridloff’s inclusion means that, on the screen, this character will be a d/Deaf woman of colour. This will actually be Marvel’s first d/Deaf superhero, and Ridloff will be the first d/Deaf actress to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This next installment in the MCU is highly anticipated, and the cast indeed showcases great diversity. This is a great step for Marvel, the most successful movie franchise of all time.
The Sound of Metal
This 2021 movie follows the story of a heavy metal drummer who gradually loses his hearing, and goes through the process of visiting an audiologist and getting cochlear implants.
While the film has been highly praised, it has been met with some scepticism in how it represents deafness, particularly by casting a hearing actor to play the lead role. However, it does boast a supporting cast of d/Deaf actors who have spoken about how much it meant for them to be a part of such a story.
Here are some more in-depth reviews of the film if you are interested:
While it is clear that Hollywood still has a long way to go before the d/Deaf community and culture are correctly portrayed and adequately represented, series’ such as A Quiet Place demonstrate that it is possible for d/Deaf actors and characters to have a safe space to express themselves in the film industry. Great care must be taken to cast d/Deaf actors in d/Deaf roles, and to ensure that interpreters are at hand. What it is also clear that A Quiet Place does well is in educating the whole cast and ensuring that all sign language is accurate.
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