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1981
Volume 21, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 1477-965X
  • E-ISSN: 1758-9533

Abstract

Cinema serves as a mirror, reflecting the development or state of society. It plays an important function in entertainment and education and can bring about a shift in our perspectives and attitudes. The article includes a descriptive analysis of Deaf Culture as a prominent subject in the movies (Marder 2019) and (Heder 2021) and clarifies the most prevalent misconceptions about disability in both films. In recent years, filmmakers have made an effort to create true and authentic representations of Deaf Culture, moving beyond the notion of a tokenized portrayal of the Deaf. They shifted the emphasis away from unwarranted sympathy towards perceptive analyses of Deaf characters with the aim of dismantling the embarrassing perception of deafness. Filmmakers have provided the Deaf population with a voice by giving real-life Deaf performers a place in mainstream cinema. Even though many efforts have been made, the article also shows that the mainstream media have not generally represented the Deaf Community favourably. Furthermore, the article looks at the psychological conflict that arises when hearing people and hearing-impaired people share the same room.

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/content/journals/10.1386/tear_00100_1
2023-09-07
2026-04-13

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References

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/content/journals/10.1386/tear_00100_1
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  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): accessibility; agency; authenticity; disability studies; film studies; stigma
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