Deaf [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Eva Libertad
fiche film] is not only having its world premiere in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival, but will also be competing at the Málaga Film Festival in March. Its director, Eva Libertad, answers our questions.

Cineuropa: In 1987 Marlee Matlin won the Oscar for Children of a Lesser God. Since then, we haven't seen many deaf characters or performers in films. Why do you think that is?
Eva Libertad: I believe that cinema is a reflection of the society we live in, where the hegemonic prevails over the subordinate and the non-normative, with the normal being placed above the different. We make the films we are, and if we are not made aware of or educated about disabilities, it is difficult for us to transfer that to the big screen. I know quite a lot about deafness because my sister, Miriam Garlo, the protagonist of this film, is deaf in real life. But I know nothing about other disabilities, because if you don't have someone close to you with a disability, you have no idea what it's like to live with a different condition. That is why it’s difficult to convey in film. Despite the fact that in recent years there’s been a shift in the perspectives behind the camera and now it is more diverse. However, we still have a long way to go in that regard.

Deaf started out as a short film and ended up a feature film. How did it grow into a feature?
The short film was the seed. When we finished, I felt that there was still a lot more to explore, to tell about her main character, and both Miriam and I were eager to continue working together, because it was such a wonderful experience. The longer format allowed me, as a filmmaker, to develop this world further. In the short film, there was only time to discuss the fears felt by the protagonist when she wanted to be a mother — a deaf mother in this ableist, hearing world. But the feature film allowed me to explore what happened next. In the film, a hearing man (played by Álvaro Cervantes) and a deaf woman have a daughter, and that allowed me to explore what changes, what happens to Ángela's character, her partner, and her parents... It was like developing and imagining possible answers to the questions we raised in the short film.

The film also deals with issues such as maternal responsibility and isolation. Are these issues common to other couples?
The arrival of a baby is always a bombshell for a couple. In the case of Ángela and Héctor, they have built a bubble, a safe environment where they can resolve their communication problems, but they are alone in it. When a third person arrives, and they have to open up, it forces them to interact, whether in the nursery or with the family, for example. Because when everything goes well, it's wonderful, but a couple’s relationship is put to the test when they face problems.

Do you think deaf or blind people still suffer discrimination?
The effort that a person with disabilities has to make in order to develop is greater than for someone who does not have a disability. Institutionally, there’s a lack of political will to generate change, with educational programmes, awareness training, and resources. And those physical barriers need be removed.

How much real experience is there in the film?
Before writing the script, I conducted research and interviewed deaf mothers to learn about their experiences and to see if their relationships with their partners and families had changed. But the film is fiction, albeit with a real substratum. Héctor is a bit like my alter ego because I have been with my sister all my life. I would pass her versions of the script, and she would give me her feedback, but the character of Ángela came from my imagination.

What message do you want to convey to the audience with your film?
Deaf is born from the desire to explore the link between the hearing world and the deaf world, how complex that link is, with difficulties, light and dark. The bond with my sister is very beautiful, but I make mistakes sometimes, and I'm still learning how to relate to her. I also want people to leave the cinema wanting to analyse those key connections that allow us to grow.