Deaf Characters and/or Actors in Film

Award Winners

Children of a Lesser God. Videocassette. Paramount Pictures, 1986. Color/Voiced/Captioned. (5 Day Collection and ETC).
Marlee Matlin was the first deaf actress to win an Academy Award, for her performance of a deaf woman in a relationship with a hearing man (William Hurt). A romantic tear-jerker for love story fans.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Videocasette. Warner Brothers, 1968. 124 mins. Color/Voiced/Captioned. (5 Day Collection and ETC).
Melancholy coming-of-age drama about an adolescent southern girl (Sondra Locke) befriending a deaf man (Alan Arkin). Based on the famous novel by Carson McCullers, this film addresses the important issues of love, friendship, loneliness an d prejudice.

The Miracle Worker. Videocassette. MGM, 1962. 1 hr. 46 mins. B & W/Voiced/Captioned. (5 Day Collection).
Locked in a frightening, lonely world of silence and darkness since infancy, 7 year old Helen Keller has never seen the sky, heard her mother's voice or expressed her innermost feelings. Then Annie Sullivan, a 20 year old teacher from Boston arrives. Having just recently regained her own sight, the no-nonsense Annie reaches out to Helen through the power of touch--the only tool they have in common-- and leads her bold pupil on a miraculous journey from fear and isolation to happiness and light.

International

Ankur or The Seedling. DVD. VideoSound, 2000. 125 mins. Color/Voiced/Captioned. In Hindi with optional English subtitles. ( 3rd floor, PN1997 .A47 2000 ).
Values clash as loyalties are tried and tested in a rural Indian setting. Class conflict of the idle-rich landowning class against toiling peasants is dramatized in a brief extra-marital liaison between an attractive village laborer who is married to a deaf man and her young employer.

Bangkok Dangerous. DVD. First Look Pictures, 2000. Color/Voiced/Captioned. (3rd floor, PN1995.9.A3 B36 2002).
A professional deaf-mute killer, Kong (Mongkolpisit), works Bangkok's toughest streets with a numbness that allows him to bring down his impersonal revenge on the world. Ultimately, the chance for his transformation finally arrives in the form of a girl, Fon (Ratanasopha), able to provide the only tenderness and warmth he's ever known. Suddenly stricken with remorse and guilt for his past actions, he fights back against those who would force him to remain a killing machine. (source: First Look).

Beyond Silence. Videocassette. Miramax, 1997. Color/Voiced/Subtitled. (5 Day Collection).
Engrossing, sentimental drama about a hearing child who must balance her dreams against her deaf parents' needs. Ninety percent of deaf parents have children who can hear, and Beyond Silence, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, is story of the conflict between isolation and belonging that occurs so often in such families. Based on Ruth Sidranky's novel, In Silence, the film is spoken in German and German sign language and captioned in English.

Breaking the Silence. DVD. Guang shi yu le you xian gong si, 1999. 95 mins. Color/Voiced/Captioned. In Mandarin ; subtitles in Chinese and English.(3rd floor, PN1995.9.D35 P53 1999).
Sun Liying is a single mother who tries to raise and educate her hard-of-hearing child. When her son's hearing aid is destroyed, the mother must try legal and illegal efforts to earn enough money to purchase a replacement.

Lian xi qu: Dan che huan dao ri zhi = Island etude. DVD. Taibei: Warner Home Video Taiwan, 2007. 109 mins. In Mandarin with Chinese or English subtitles.
Before graduating from college, a deaf young man in Taiwan decides to embark on a seven-day bicycle trip alone around the island. His adventures on the road turn out to be a life-enriching experience when he meets other fascinating travelers along the beautiful shorelines of the island.

I Love You. DVD. Universe Laser & Video, 2001. 112 mins. Color/Voiced/Signed/Captioned. (3rd floor, PN1995.9.D35 I33 2001). In Japanese and Japanese sign language. Close captioned (letter box) in Chinese (traditional), Chinese (simplified) and English. Ai is embarrassed and bullied at school because her mother, Asako, is Deaf. In order to encourage a more positive attitude towards the Deaf, Asako enrolls her daughter and herself in a theatrical troupe together. Problems occur between the Deaf and hearing actors during rehearsals, but they learn to work together. Ai also learns that her mother had lost her hearing while giving birth to Ai. Mother and daughter reconcile, and Ai has a greater understanding and respect for her mother and for the Deaf.

Koshish. DVD. Bollywood Entertainment, 2003. 112 mins. Color/Voiced/Captioned. (3rd floor, HV1597 .K67 2003).
In Hindi and sign language, with English subtitles. In India, a deaf couple fall in love and marry. Their first child dies in an accident, andd they feel that they could have prevented his death if they could have heard him. A blind man helps them raise their second boy. When the boy grows up, his father arranges his marriage with a deaf girl. The son learns a lesson from his parents' lives and experiences

Marianna Ucria. DVD. Cecchi Gori Editoria Elettronica, 2004. 101 mins. Color/Voiced/Captioned (Italian). (3rd floor, PN1997 .M37 2004). Some Italian/French sign language.
Features deaf actress Emmanuelle Laborit. 18th-century costume drama that follows the adventures of a deaf noblewoman attempting to escape her past. Although loved by her family, at thirteen she is forced to marry an older uncle and lives a rather oppressed life. She strives to find freedom in subtle ways and manages to save a peasant girl from a terrible situation. Special features: interactive animated menus; direct access to 24 scenes; behind-the-scenes footage; trailer; biographies of the director and of the principal actors

Ridicule. DVD. Miramax, 1996. 103 mins. Color/Voiced. French with English captions. MRC, basement of library, DVD 1498. There is a presentation at court of Charles-Michel de l'Épée's work with deaf people and development of sign language. The nobles ridicule the deaf mercilessly. In response, de Bellegarde stands and asks how to sign "bravo," leading Ponceludon to rise and clap to show his support.

Secret Love. Videocassette. T&C Film AG, 2001. 90 mins. Color/Signed/Voiced/Captioned. (3rd floor, PN1995.9.D35 S75 2001).In German and sign language, with subtitles in English and in French.
Set in Switzerland, a young Deaf girl Antonia becomes a nun, but dreams of joining Gallaudet's Theater of the Deaf. She works in a center for the homeless in the city. One day she meets a young Deaf man, Mikas, on the daily train commute. He is from Lithuania, immigrating to join his brother. Unfortunately, his brother is involved in criminal activities. They become fond of each other, and soon begin an affair. He is later killed during an escape from the police. She leaves the convent, and travels to the United States to follow her dream and attend Gallaudet University.

Mystery or Thriller

Deafula. Videocassette. Sign Cinema International, 1986. 90 mins. B&W/Signed/Voiced. (3rd floor, PN1995.9.V3 D43 1986 ).
This is the first feature film entirely in American Sign Language. Story of Deafula, a theology student who is half human, half vampire, and unable to control his lust for blood. He must unravel his mysterious past, and confront Amy, the occult guardian of his destiny.

Dead Silence. Videocassette. HBO Pictures, 1997. 99 mins. Color/Voiced/Captioned. (3rd floor, PN1995.9.D35 D435 1997) .Three escaped convicts hijack a schoolbus and end up trapped in an abandoned slaughterhouse in a hostage situation they didn't plan on. They discover the children and their teacher are deaf, and the FBI has called in veteran agent (Garner) to negotiate their release . (Marlee Matlin).

Inspector Morse: The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn. DVD. BFS Video, 2002. 101 mins. Color/Voiced/Captioned. (3rd floor, PR6054.E96 S5546 2002). See book.
Inspector Morse is called in to investigate one of the most puzzling murder cases yet. Someone is selling examination secrets at Oxford and making a killing in more ways than one. Nicholas Quinn is the hard-of-hearing member of an examinations board until one day he is found dead at home. Can Morse match up the clues with the killer?

The Quiet. DVD. Sony Picture, 2006. Color/Voiced/Captioned. (3 day video, 1st floor).
This erotic and suspenseful tale of sex, lies and betrayal follows Nina Deer (Cuthbert), a pretty cheerleader whose life is turned upside-down by the arrival of her parents’ godchild Dot (Belle), a deaf and mute girl recently orphaned by her father’s death. Although Nina looks upon Dot’s deafness with disdain, her family and friends develop a strange attraction to her, and Dot soon becomes a sounding board for everyone’s heaviest burdens. But when Nina becomes convinced that Dot is hiding a few secrets of her own, she decides to confess a family secret so disturbing, it cannot be ignored.

Where the Truth Lies. DVD. Starlight Home Entertainment, 2001. 92 mins. Color/Voiced/Captioned. (3rd floor, PN1995.D35 W547 2001).
When a controversial political candiate is murdered, his deaf campaign manager, stands accused and becomes the focus of the trial that will ruin lives, open old wounds and finally settle a few scores that have been years in the making.

Musicians/Composers

Holland's Opus. Videocassette. Polygram, 1995. Color/Voiced/Captioned. (5 Day Collection).

Immortal Beloved. Videocassette. Columbia Pictures, 1994. 121 mins. Color/Voiced/Captioned. (5 Day Collection).
This video is a mesmerizing mysetery based on the tumultuous real life of Ludwig van Beethoven. Gary Oldman gives a tour de force performance as the passionate, volatile genius who inspired love and hatred in equal meausre. Whether seducing regal followers or criticizing the ruling class, Beethoven made many enemies. But he also had one true love--the unnamed 'immortal beloved' mentioned in an enigmatic letter discovered upon his death. The thrilling search for the identity of this mystery woman leads us into Beethoven's dark past, his hidden passions, and ultimately, into the unparalled genius of his music.

Playing from the Heart. Videocassette. San Francisco, CA : Globalstage Productions, 1998. 98 mins. Color/Voiced/Captioned. (3rd floor, PN1995.9.D35 P539 1998).
Story of the young life of famous percussionist Evelyn Glennie who began to lose her hearing at the age of eight, performed by the Polka Children's Theatre of Wimbledon, England. Includes a brief look at London, several percussion performances, and an interview with Evelyn Glennie.

Touch the Sound: A Sound Journey with Evelyn Glennie. DVD. New York : Docurama - New Video Group, 2004. Color/Voiced/Captioned. (4th flloor, ML419 .T68 2006).
Opens the door to a world where sight, sound, and touch magically converge to elevate our everyday sensory experiences. With Evelyn Glennie, Grammy winning percussionist who is also deaf.

September 11

September 11, 2001. DVD. Empire Pictures, 2002. Color/Voiced/Captioned. (1st floor, 3 day videos).
Emmanuelle L., French actress is in this DVD.

Sports

Dummy Hoy: A Deaf Hero. DVD. Chatsworth, Calif.: Da-Cor Pictures, 2007. Color/Signed/Voiced/Captioned. (4th floor, GV865.H69 D86 2007).
Being the first deaf baseball player in the major leagues, Hoy's baseball career span[ned] 18 seasons on professional teams...Hoy overcame many obstacles to become one of the greatest outfielders of his time.