National Award

Deaf Jam

The Gershman Y
Sunday, April 21, 2013 / 3:00 PM

Director: Judy Lieff
USA, 2011, 70 minutes
Language: Spoken English and American Sign Language. Fully subtitled in English.

Meet Aneta Brodski - a charismatic New York high schooler and aspiring poet. On paper, her ambitions seem no different than any other driven teen, but Aneta's unique situation forces her to work harder to achieve her goals: overcoming the obstacles faced by her deaf Russian-Israeli immigrant family, getting into an excellent college, and succeeding in the competitive New York City slam poetry scene. Yet her biggest challenge is getting people to understand that deafness is not a problem - it's a way of life. Aneta, the vanguard of a new generation of American Sign Language (ASL) poets inspired by hip-hop culture, teams up with Tahani, a Palestinian-American spoken word poet. Both strive to make their mark on the world through poetry and performance, eager to profoundly impact the way poetry and language are experienced. From Judy Lieff, breakout documentary Deaf Jam, our National Award Winner, joyfully explores friendship, language, performance, and the many different ways one can define culture.

Post-film interview with New Filmmakers Host Dan Friedman, Director Judy Lieff, and Elizabeth Wolter (appears in the film)

Fall Film Festival sponsored by SEED THE DREAM FOUNDATION, Marcy Gringlas & Joel Greenberg

Watch the trailer now