This week I saw a pretty amazing movie, and it made me think deeply about our mission here at LSH.
It’s called ‘The Sound of Metal,’ and normally I wouldn’t be drawn to the subject, since the lead role is that of a heavy-metal drummer. I’m not a huge fan of that music, but the story — that’s something else.
The film takes us on the journey of Ruben, who loses his hearing early in the story. It’s not an easy journey, but what really stands out about the movie is the soundscape, as it toggles back and forth between the
hearing world, the deaf, and the muffled in-between.
It brings up the tensions in the deaf community over the question of whether deafness is a disability or something that needs to be fixed, as Ruben struggles to adjust to his new reality. It also left me with a greater appreciation for the soundscape of our daily lives that hearing people take for granted.
Riz Ahmed, who plays Ruben, is already being touted as a likely Oscar winner, and I can see why.
The movie is streaming now on Amazon Prime, and if you want to deepen your understanding of this world (and don’t mind some salty language), I highly recommend it.
