Please note: This was screened in July 2025
The plight of the African American Deaf community is put under the spotlight in this moving and ambitious landmark of independent cinema.
Zeinabu irene Davis’ remarkable film showcases empathetic dual performances from Michelle A. Banks and John Earl Jelks. It begins in 1910 with Banks and Jelks portraying Chicago couple Malindy, a dressmaker, and Arthur, a migrant from Mississippi.
Some eighty years later, the same actors portray Chicago dwellers Malaika, a graphic artist, and Nico, a children’s librarian. In presenting these parallel love stories, Davis collapses our temporal understanding and unifies these disparate individuals via their collective struggles with deafness.
The director’s approach utilises archival photography and a multifaceted hybrid soundtrack that encompasses ragtime and traditional African rhythms. The cumulative effect is a spellbinding ode to the ongoing struggles of a marginalised community.
Davis has personally approved the film’s new 4K digital restoration, undertaken by The Criterion Collection, The UCLA Film and Television Archive, and Wimmin with a Mission Productions in conjunction with The Sundance Institute from a scan of the 16mm original camera negative. Newly created open captions have been implemented, designed by Alison O’Daniel collaboration with the Compensation Caption Creative Team.
Presented in partnership with South West Silents.