The Tribe (Plemya, 2014; Ukrainian sign language)
This must be a milestone in movie making. For the first time, we see a film done completely in sign language, no subtitles, and no spoken dialogue. All the actors communicate through sign language. For your information, sign language is not universal. In essence, one who following sign in China may find it difficult to 'talk' with someone from, say, Iceland. This one was done in Ukrainian sign language and boasts of 43 awards thus far.
It tells of a young deaf man who gets enrolled in a school for the hearing impaired. He slowly gets involved in a web of mugging and pimping. A small group of 4 students and two girls moonshine after school hours in the bleak uninspiring freezing weather of Ukraine. Things get complicated when the new guy gets romantically linked to one of the girls.
Watching the film, one has to make his own composite picture of what is happening. The director wanted his audience (both with hearing capability and those challenged) to appreciate it the same way. As the visual way is the only way to appreciate what it is going on, they must have decided to make it way too graphic - the elements of violence, sex, and gore, more than it is needed to lure an audience, I suppose. I wonder if that is the reason it garnered international attention and accolades. Exposing everything and calling it bold is nonsensical.
Real lesson from reel:
For the first time, I came to know that sign language is not universal. Sign languages used in one part of the world may not be understood by another user from another part of the world!
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Real Lessons from Real Life
Non-FictionThis presentation is by no account an attempt to critically analyse the art of movie making or storytelling. What I try to lay out here is an endeavour to share my experience of learning a thing or two from hours of self-indulgence in the reel world...
