Deaf

In 1984, Wiseman and his cinematographer John Davey travelled to Talladega to shoot at the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, one of the most renowned institutions of its kind in the US. It quickly became clear, however, that one film alone would not be enough, so they make four: Blind, DEAF, Adjustment and World, and Multi-Handicapped. DEAF focuses on the part of the school, in which children and young people with hearing disabilities are taught. As in numerous other works, Wiseman organized the montage around various scenes of dialogue, during which communication this time largely takes place through sign language. Again and again, the question of how communication works arises: In one extremely moving scene, a boy speaks about his thoughts of suicide and his hatred of his mother, which he would prefer to swallow rather than discuss with her. (hb)