We all have that friend who thinks he’s the only person in the world who can truly appreciate subtitles. “I just love foreign films,” he’ll say. “Reading subtitles is just such an experience.” Well, you can finally one-up him this Saturday when you take him to see Universal Signs, a movie with subtitles, but not because of the bonjours or adioses. Even better, it’s performed entirely in American Sign Language.
Universal Signs is the first full-length feature film in ASL and provides the first opportunity for deaf viewers to enjoy a film in their native language. Additionally, all the deaf characters in the movie are played by people who are actually deaf. Like a modern twist on silent films of yesteryear, the subtitles allow both deaf and hearing audiences to enjoy the film together.
A feature of the Philadelphia Film Festival, the film tells the story of Andrew, a deaf artist who, depressed after the death of his fiancée’s daughter, finds love and redemption with a new friend, Mary. The film aims to target neither deaf nor hearing audiences in particular, but rather to show that everyone, whether they can hear or not, experiences the same emotions.
The film also serves the issue it is hoping to promote. The production of Universal Signs was supported by a Creative Access, a Philly non-profit that promotes Deaf Accessibility and Awareness to the Cultural Arts.
Catch the world premiere of the film this Saturday at Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA. There are two screenings: a matinee at 1 p.m. and an evening show at 7 p.m.. You can even meet some of the movie’s stars, who will be on the scene to sign autographs and discuss the film.
