Deaf

Sorda

The arrival of a baby puts a strain on the relationship between Ángela (Mirian Garlo), who is deaf, and her hearing partner Héctor (Alvaro Cervantes), in Eva Libertad’s compassionate, sensitive debut feature, a deserving winner of this year’s Audience Award in the Berlin Film Festival’s Panorama section. Despite both claiming they are ready, the couple’s underlying concerns are evident; Ángela’s deafness is the result of a genetic congenital condition and there is a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ chance their baby will be deaf, something that is of particular concern to Ángela’s hearing parents. Following a difficult birth, the couple must wait a couple of months to learn if the baby is hearing or not. Héctor struggles to fully grasp the challenges Ángela is facing, while she must come to terms with raising a daughter who may not share her experience of the world.