Adelaide Film Festival Review: Deaf (2025) ★★★★☆

Director: Eva Libertad

Country: Spain

Classification: Unclassified 15+

Link: https://www.adelaidefilmfestival.org/program/2025/deaf

The Spanish film Deaf (2025), premiered at Adelaide Film Festival, was an unexpected highlight. More than a story about communication, it’s a deeply felt exploration of connection, perspective, identity, and the lived experience of being d/Deaf.

The film follows the journey of Angela, authentically played by Deaf actress Miriam Garlo. Angela is a soon-to-be mother navigating life with her hearing husband, Hector (Álvaro Cervantes). The couple grapple with the idea that their child could be either hearing or d/Deaf and what each of those outcomes means to each parent.

When their daughter is born hearing, Angela’s world grows more complicated. Her struggle to bond with a child who lives in a different communication space from her own becomes a source of heartbreak, affecting her relationship with her husband as well. As Angela’s parents are also hearing, Angela increasingly finds herself on the outside.

The film is told from Angela’s perspective and reflects the social model of disability exploring barriers in the world that prevent her from fully participating in society. Whilst her parents present more of a medical model of disability where they put the blame and burden on Angela, suggesting she should not have a child as it could be Deaf as well.

Told firmly through Angela’s point of view, the film aligns with the social model of disability, inviting audiences to witness the barriers imposed by society rather than inherent limitations. Angela’s parents, by contrast, embody the medical model, framing Deafness as a deficiency and even questioning whether Angela should have children at all. This tension prompts viewers to reconsider how societal attitudes shape the lives of people with disabilities. 

From a filmmaking standpoint, Deaf is also a compelling lesson in accessibility and form. The dialogue in the film is either through sign language or, if spoken verbally, it is presented through Angela’s perspective by being muted or very overwhelming when she wears her cochlear implants. The cinematography and editing is adapted to make the film accessible: shots linger longer, frames are wider, and editing avoids the conventional audio-driven L- and J-cuts that dominate most films. The result is a visual rhythm that encourages viewers to engage with sign language in a way that is natural and makes the film not just about accessibility but crafted with accessibility.

What ultimately stands out is the film’s authenticity and sincerity. Deaf (2025) provides rare, authentic representation of the d/Deaf community and explores language, family, belonging and the importance of connection.