Further Information

Catapulted into fame with her Oscar-winning performance in Children of a Lesser God, Marlee Matlin quickly found herself navigating the pressures of Hollywood and the expectations of a community that viewed her as a trailblazer. This candid and deeply personal documentary explores her life off-screen and her powerful advocacy for Deaf rights. Directed by Stern, the film thoughtfully plays with the concept of silence, using smart visuals and an ASL-first approach to emphasize the importance of inclusive storytelling. Following the screening, there will be a panel discussion featuring writer-director Ted Evans and documentary producer and factual commissioner at Lumo TV, Cathy Heffernan, hosted by Deaffest co-founder and festival director Nikki Stratton. The panel will include BSL interpretation and live captioning, and the screening will be presented with Descriptive Subtitles and Audio Description.