WATCH: A deaf man & a hearing man have a passionate romance in this “silent” short film
This week, April 15 – 21, marks National Deaf LGBTQ+ Awareness Week, a project launch by the Deaf Queer Resource Center to uplift, support, and bring greater visibility to these multiply marginalized communities.
Every day this week, Queerty will be spotlighting a short film that focuses on deaf, queer characters—all of which you can watch right now.In 2016, queer theater heartthrob Andrew Keenan-Bolger jumped behind the camera to direct his first short film, collaborating with writer-composer Adam Wachter to tell a story the would both portray an under-explored human experience and spotlight their friends in the New York theater community.The final result is the romantic drama Sign, which focuses on a universal relationship story of meet-cutes and heart-aches, first dates and fights, and everything in between.Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.Aaron (Wonderstruck‘s John McGinty) and Ben (The Strangers: Prey At Night‘s Preston Sadleir) are two men living and working in New York City.
Aaron is deaf, Ben is not. Though they lead separate lives, the frequently cross paths at the same subway station.Eventually, after enough stolen glances, Ben works up the courage to say hello to Aaron, only realizing his crush is deaf when Aaron uses sign language to say hello back.
Next thing you know, the two are out to dinner together for their first date which, despite a few communication stumbles, goes very well.From there on out, we watch the ups and downs of their romance through a series of vignettes.
