I was 14 year old when I saw my Mom use sign language in the wild. I was struck in this moment how my Mom could connect with a total stranger. It was very cool, lowkey kind of wild, and to this day inspiring. As a kid, I knew what sign language was and even knew some basic phrases because my mother was a Professor of Special Education. Me and my two brothers grew up in a house where we talked about disability rights, watched films about disability, and generally were taught that disabled people were no different than us. Nevertheless, it still was shocking to me when my Mom busted out sign language in the middle of a busy square on a busy spring day in the middle of Dublin. I was seeing my Mom’s skills as an educator and a communicator in the wild and it was thrilling and inspirational.

This past weekend I watched the incredible film “ Sound Of Metal.” It came out this year, is currently streaming on Amazon Prime, and I’m sure it will be an Academy Award contender. My Dad recommended the film to me as an amazing disability film and I can see why. It tells the story of heavy metal drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed) who loses his hearing and how he navigates his new deafness in his life. With scenes of Ruben learning to sign, connecting with other Deaf folks, and searching for meaning - I’m sure my Mom would have loved this movie. She loved disability movies, but a disability teaching movie - that’s a one-two punch.

My favorite character in the film is Joe, who leads a support group for deaf addicts that Ruben attends. Portrayed by Paul Raci (an actor who grew up with Deaf parents), Joe is an empathetic character who serves as Ruben’s guide as he navigates the new world of his disability. Thanks to some incredible sound design in the film, the viewer gets to “understand” what Ruben’s hearing loss sounds and feels like. Music rages but no sound is heard during the film, characters lips move but there is only muffled silence - it’s very powerful and effective.

And while this sound design is incredible - the true strength of the film for me is how through Ruben’s journey guided by Joe - we get an illuminating glimpse of different deaf communities. I loved the scenes of rowdy group dinners where everyone is using sign language, to school classes where students have their hands on the piano to feel music, and another great scene where Ruben competes with a student to see who can sign the alphabet faster. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that these scenes showcase a lack of inclusion as it appears there are only deaf students in the classes and like my Mom, I believe that disabled students should be with other non disabed students in school (and life!) but for the sake of the film - everything works beautifully.

“ Sound Of Metal” is a beautiful movie. It shows us there is hope for those who are struggling to accept the pain that life throws at us. It uses the full suite of filmmaking power (sound design, visuals, plot, acting) to showcase a world not often seen on film. And finally it reminds us that no matter how hard things may get - there are people like Joe - or for me and for all of her students there are people like Mom to guide us through the uncertainty that swirls around us.