Lately, the Deaf community has been making great strides in cinema. CODA, a movie with Deaf characters played by Deaf actors, made history by winning Best Picture in 2022. Streaming is also providing Deaf inclusivity with movies like Barbie having an ASL version and Sinners’ cool new feature on Max with BASL. Now I've learned about a new thriller that’s making history for the Deaf community at TIFF and I’ve loving its premise.
While CODA was triumphant in having Deaf characters be the leads, we mostly see the Deaf community portrayed in supporting roles. Some examples include Eternals’ Makkari being the first Deaf superhero and The Last of Us’ Sam being reimagined as Deaf for the TV show. But, there are very few movies that have an all-Deaf cast. That’s all the more reason why I’m so hyped learning about Retreat, “the world’s first Deaf thriller” that hit TIFF. Here's the premise:
