About the Deaf Movies Directory
A worldwide directory of films made by, with and about Deaf people — built so that Deaf-led work is easy to find, and easy to tell apart from a hearing actor playing a Deaf role.
The directory currently lists 187 films from 34 countries, covering 23 sign languages. 72 of them feature Deaf actors in lead roles.
Who made this
The Deaf Movies Directory was created in 2023 by David Campbell, a Deaf web developer and screenwriter based in Ontario, Canada. You can find his other work at ddc1975.ca.
What counts as a Deaf film
A film is listed here if it meets at least one of these:
- Sign language is used on screen, or a Deaf character appears
- It was directed, written or produced by a Deaf person
- It is a documentary about Deaf culture, history or community life
- It features Deaf actors, in Deaf or hearing roles
How involvement is marked
Every entry carries a label describing how much Deaf involvement there actually was. This matters: a film about Deaf people made entirely by hearing people is a different thing from a film made by Deaf people, and the directory should not blur the two.
- Deaf-led production
- A Deaf director and/or Deaf writer, with Deaf actors in the cast.
- Deaf actors in the cast
- Deaf performers in real roles, in a production led by hearing people.
- Deaf role played by a hearing actor
- A Deaf character portrayed by a hearing performer. These are listed because they are part of the history of how Deaf people have been shown on screen, and the label lets you filter them out if you would rather not see them.
- Deafness as a theme
- Hearing loss or deafness is a subject, but there is little or no signing.
Corrections
These labels are researched, not authoritative, and some entries are still marked unverified. If something here is wrong — particularly a claim about who was Deaf on a production — please send a correction and it will be fixed.
Adding a film
Films are missing, especially shorts, festival work and titles from outside Europe and North America. Suggest one.