RIZ AHMED “SOUND OF METAL”
Key scene: Recently deaf Ruben (Ahmed) gets a cochlear implant, which causes his mentor and the leader of a deaf community, Joe (Paul Raci), to kick him out.
What’s so special: “The whole film pivots on that scene,” says director Darius Marder. “The energy was so intense coming into this scene; [Ruben] was looking for a fix for his fears. He walked away from that language and that culture and knew he’d never have it again. It was a real goodbye.”