Hear and Now

All their lives, Irene Taylor Brodsky's deaf parents had dreamed about what it would be like to hear. When the 65-year-olds jointly resolved to get a cochlear implant, their daughter decided to follow the process with a camera. Brodsky presents the story from her perspective: in voice-over, she explains how she and her brother and sister were raised by deaf parents, how she feels about their decision, and what her objections and conclusions are. Her parents are strong personalities who were never daunted by their deafness. As is also clear from old home movies included in the film, they are an inseparable, loving duo. But after the surgery - graphically shown, down to the inner ear - especially her mother has trouble adapting to the new situation, while her father can cope much better with the change. Their daughter records and elucidates their behaviour, but leaves the emotions to her parents. A wise decision, as a person with the ability to hear can never get into the mind of someone who cannot.