Wonderstruck
In the 21st century the representation of deaf people in entertainment is getting more prompt. Wonderstruck shows the difficulties of being a deaf person in communicating with the world, through the eyes of a little boy that has lost his hearing because of an accident, and how was it to be a deaf person in the 50´s, with a little girl that lost her mother. Magically their times are somehow connected and they get the opportunity to grow as children and discover themselves as deaf people.
This movie is coming on theaters in October 20th in the US, but they haven't confirmed a date for Mexico (more information on this link).
How is this making an impact in the deaf community? I had the opportunity to interview a deaf person and to observe her point of view as a deaf adult:
Interview.
At first she was calm but when I showed her the trailer of this movie she showed a high interest in it, and when it ended I started asking my questions to her and she was willing to answer them. She seemed happy to hear that the protagonist is a real life deaf person.
After watching this trailer, do you want to watch this movie?
Yes (with enthusiasm), it seems that it is going to be an amazing movie
As a kid, did you have movies with representations of a deaf person?
There were movies with them but only american movies, and not a lot of them.
Do you think this movie is going to be a hit?
Definitely, because it attracts a lot of attention
What do you think of the protagonist being a deaf person in real life?
I was really surprised to see a deaf person who is also a kid doing this important role, because she seems to be a smart kid, and I am really proud to see her shine and represent our culture.
Do you want more movies about deafness ?
Yes, because they might help deaf kids to learn that they should not be ashamed of who they are.
What do you expect from hearing people after watching this?
To respect and treat a deaf person like any other hearing person.
After she answered the questions she marked the release date of the movie and thanked me because she always wanted to watch a movie with a real deaf kid.
As a C.O.D.A I was really happy to see that this movie exists and I'm excited to see it, and observe the world of the deaf girl in the 50's.
I hope that this movie is of your interest; stay tuned for the release date for Mexico if you want to watch it.
