One word, CODA, which stands for Children of Deaf Adults, the hearing child of deaf parents, has unexpectedly become a trend in the cinema.
A reality that affects thousands of people, with associations around the world, including Italy, and that a moving family drama written and directed by Sian Heder is bringing to the fore.
It was the film that made headlines at the Sundance Festival because immediately after the screening there was an immediate outpouring of love on social media, rave comments and this triggered a bidding war between Amazon, Netflix and others.
Apple Studio was awarded CODA for a record $ 25 million.
Tonight he made the history of the festival founded by Robert Redford in the mountains of Utah, winning the four main prizes of the Drama competition: the Grand Jury Prize, the Direction, the Audience Award and the Special Jury Prize for the best ensemble. .
It is the first time in the history of the festival.
Beyond the beauty of this indie film, a sweet and open coming-of-age story centered on Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones), a teenager who is the only hearing person in her family, there is another sign to be picked up.
The issues of disability are making a powerful entry into film production, less episodic than examples that do exist.
The Hollywood that has put in black and white inclusivity at 360 degrees - dozens of black films from Bridgerton to Malcolm & Marie, boom in female directors, ethnic groups compulsory in the technical cast - opens up to the last taboo, that of representation of disability.
It is a time when the film industry is focused on inclusion and diversity, and the first fruits are beginning to be seen without too many constraints.
The trio of deaf characters at the center of the story is played by deaf actors, who are so eloquent in their expression that we hardly need subtitles or other characters to translate.
"The real problem we have is that these stories are told so infrequently, that when they are, there is this pressure to be everyone's representation. My hope is that telling this story will tell other stories," he said. director Sian Heder at TheWrap's Sundance Virtual Studio.
"I just hope this film opens the door to representation and that we can invite people to tell these stories so that we can have 100 films about the deaf experience out there."
The film about Ruby who, together with her deaf parents (Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur) and her deaf brother (Daniel Durant), helps manage the family's fishing business on the Massachusetts coast but then as she grows up she finds herself fighting for deciding between helping his family and pursuing his dream of going to music school is the American remake of the 2014 French comedy The Bélier Family (La Famille Bélier) directed by Éric Lartigau.
If CODA is a story with actors, there is instead a truly unmissable documentary on the theme of inclusion: 'Crip Camp revolutionary disabilities', a little-known story of the movement for the rights of people with disabilities.
Directed by Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht, produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions, also executive producers, presented at Sundance 2020 where it won the audience award, is presented by Netfix, has just won the IDA top prize, the most high recognition of the International Documentary Association and is in pole position according to all forecasts for the Oscar nomination of documentaries.
Never-before-seen archival images, recounts the New York State summer camp for disabled teens in the early 1970s that helped launch the Disability Rights Movement, i.e. how boys and girls managed to be considered first and foremost as people.
(HANDLE).