Deaf film campaign: Cast, funding sought

A group of young film enthusiasts has sent out a casting call to the Deaf and hard of hearing community to feature in a film they hope will also help improve representation in the industry.

The New Zealand film-makers are working on a short feature, The Dining Table, about a Deaf girl.

The Dining Table is an intimate piece which explores what it feels like to be socially isolated, even within your own family home, says first-time film-maker Christopher Hines – a Coda (Child of a Deaf adult).

But Hines and his team are struggling to find Deaf actors because ‘‘people in the Deaf community don’t see themselves represented on screen and don’t realise that they can be actors’’.

‘‘And that’s part of why we are making this film, so Deaf people can see themselves on screen and become inspired to work in the film industry,’’ says Hines, who co-owns Red Rock Films in Wellington.

‘‘It’s an experience many in the Deaf community can relate to,’’ the 29-year-old said. ‘‘Jess becomes frustrated at the dining table when her family are not including her in family conversations.

‘‘More than just a dining table moment, we step into the shoes of Jess as she discovers her voice.’’

Making his directorial debut, Hines hopes to compel audiences to empathise with Deaf people and communicate with the people around them better.

The Dining Table is based on the experiences from his mother’s life and Hines hopes the film’s success will be a breakthrough moment for Deaf audiences.

Producer Jessica George is not a Coda but was drawn to the project the first moment she heard about it.

‘‘I want to help raise the status of Deaf talent within mainstream culture. We see the works of hearing film-makers getting better and better, and we want to make sure Deaf film-makers have the same opportunities to make great films.’’

Anyone keen to help fund The Dining Table can contribute through its Boosted crowdfunding page.

The film’s release is scheduled for late August.