The Rooftop Films 2009 Summer Series

Among the Bedouin people in El-Sayed, a village in Israel, deafness is a way of life. For hundreds of years, a large percentage of the population in this tightly-knit community have been born deaf. The people have created their own marriage customs—traditions that ensure the safety of all. They have developed their own unique sign language; where else would there be one simple sign for “goat’s meat stuffed in lemon leaf”? A group of talkative children of El-Sayed are delighted to express that particular sign to international linguists. Elsewhere, a set of brothers joke about the deficits of hearing, and take pride in their abilities—showing off benefits that will be obvious to the viewer (and listener). This potential hardship helps create a supportive, community-wide bond. These are a people who have reached an emotional and intellectual balance with a trait that most of the world sees as a disability. That essential, poetic status is captured artfully by director Oded Adomi Leshem’s subtle use of sound and silence, and through the people’s charm and joy. So when the state of Israel presents a generous offer to the village—a free hearing implant for any child—many of the Bedouin are skeptical. What need do they have for hearing? How will it change their traditions and disrupt their local heritage? Rumors circulate about the implants not working, of people removing them after being tormented by sound. But one man, hoping for an unencumbered future for his toddler son, decides to accept a cochlear implant for young Muhammad.