Universal Signs

Is the film a documentary?
When writing the script, Ann Calamia took into consideration the daily life experiences of Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals; however, Universal Signs is not a documentary. It is feature-length drama about a Deaf “every man.”

Is this film appropriate for young children?
The film contains adult themes and content and may not be suitable for young children. We suggest parents view the film with their children to answer questions and discuss observations.

How can this film be compared to a silent film?
As in a silent film, much of Universal Signs is set to an interpretive score. Expressing mood, the score becomes its own character in Universal Signs. Similar to a ballet, the score is a choreography of visuals and sound. The score was painstakingly created by the amazingly talented Joseph Renzetti. He composed equivalent to an opera in the 100 minutes of original score.

Universal Signs' audience is on a first person journey through the Deaf experience; therefore, for most of the film, they will not hear talking or every day audible noises, such as forks clicking on plates or a telephone ring.

Special Note: There are small portions of the film with audible dialogue. The entire film is captioned for all audiences.

Click here to learn more about the history of silent films.
Click here to visit Silent Era, a site devoted to silent films.

What does “captioned for the hearing” mean?
Despite being an inappropriate and offensive term, traditionally, in the subtitling section of DVDs, captions are listed for the “hearing impaired.” (Some more modern films do appropriately list their captions “Subtitled for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.”) The term “captioned for the hearing” refers to the fact that Universal Signs is told through the beauty of American Sign Language. This reversal allows the Deaf and Hard of Hearing audience to watch the film in their native language while the non-signing audience members find themselves in need of captions.

Special Note: There are small portions of the film with audible dialogue. The entire film is captioned for all audiences.

Click here to learn more about the film’s captioning.