By Hand and Heart: The Poetry of American Sign Language (ASL) is a documentary work-in-progress about the visual poetry of a non-word-based language, and it is also about an art form: ASL poetry. The project, supported by an access grant from IFP Minnesota, originated with my curiosity about sign language. I had no previous acquaintance with Deaf culture or people other than a basic course in ASL. My goal is to introduce other hearing viewers to the richness of Deaf language and also spotlight some of the cultural barriers between hearing and Deaf. I'm grateful for the participation of local Twin Cities' Deaf community members you'll see in this trailer: Deaf poet Cara Barnett, some of her third-grade students at St. Paul's Metro Deaf School, Deaf storyteller Estella Bustamante performing for a mixed audience of Deaf and hearing children, ASL interpreters Patty Gordon, Susan Boinis, and Anthony Verdeja, and Anna Saindon, ASL student at The College of St. Catherine.
Posted by Minnesota Stories on April 5, 2006 03:48 AM
PAH!! Cara is a perfect ASL poetry role for our Deaf children! Please make more films on Deaf children's ASL poetry!
Please add the captions when a few people use voices.
Overall, this film is CHAMP!
Posted by: Leticia at April 5, 2006 12:59 PM
'Community' is the name of the game---can't we all get along? This film helps us deal with the notion of "otherness" by helping us to look at the artificial barriers. So well conceived and executed, Christine. Saluting your heart and mind. ---DW
Posted by: Dave at April 5, 2006 02:23 PM
woah! i LOVE this piece! i look forward to seeing the entire film. excellent!
Christine - you have done amazing work with the editing of this footage! It is smooth and miles ahead of where I saw it. The trailer shows great work and has beautiful flow to it! Job well done! I can't wait to see this in theaters. It will have it's day! Keep going!
Evonne:)
Posted by: Evonne at April 10, 2006 04:13 PM
Thank you all for your comments!
The full-length version definitely will be captioned, I'm sorry this trailer is not.
