September 17, 2014 – Montreal, Quebec – National Film Board of Canada
To mark International Week of the Deaf on Monday, from September 22 to 28, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is making the new documentary The Dance of Words by Yves Étienne Massicotte available for free on NFB.ca from Friday, September 26, to Sunday, September 28. The film, in Quebec sign language (LSQ) with English dubbing, offers an inside look at deaf culture and a community that is often misunderstood. The documentary was produced by Anne-Marie Rocher and Dominic Desjardins at the NFB's Canadian Francophonie Studio.
This is the Franco-Ontarian filmmaker's second film produced at the NFB (after A Monk's Secret in 2009). The Dance of Words closely follows deaf francophone artists who are using the arts to build their culture—a culture with its own challenges and concerns. For them, deafness is not a handicap. Instead, they proudly celebrate it as a source of identity that gives them a sense of belonging to a community defined by solidarity.
Starting September 29, the film will be available on NFB.ca for purchase on DVD and in a downloadable version, and will also be available for rental (LSQ, English dubbing and closed-caption versions).
• About the film
Over 200,000 Canadians are deaf. For deaf francophones, Quebec sign language (LSQ) is the cornerstone of their identity and their connection to the deaf community. In past decades, many parents and doctors pushed for hearing aids—and, more recently, cochlear implants— in addition to advocating a mainstream education for deaf children. Being thrust into the hearing world came at a price for some of these kids. The Dance of Words features young deaf artists who have embraced their deaf identity in adulthood after a difficult childhood spent in the grey area between hearing and deaf cultures. These emerging artists shine a spotlight on their community as they promote and advance deaf culture with a keen sensitivity.
• About the filmmaker
Yves Étienne Massicotte holds a master's degree in political science from the University of Ottawa. He has been a director and producer since 1999, when he began his directing career with the arts show Ô Zone. He later produced several series of vignettes on such varied topics as architecture and Canadian history. He hosted movie nights on the TFO network from 2000 to 2012 and produced various cinema series, including Hors champ, a weekly show about films. In 2009, he directed his first film, the NFB-produced A Monk's Secret, which played at many festivals and aired on Radio-Canada.
International Week of the Deaf (Canadian Association of the Deaf): cad.ca/news_events_en.php?newsID=162
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NFB's DVD store: nfb.ca/boutique/
Online screening room: NFB.ca
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Beginning May 2, 2014, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) marks 75 years of innovation and leadership in social-issue documentaries, auteur animation, and most recently, groundbreaking interactive works. The NFB has produced over 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 10 Webbys, 9 Canadian Screen Awards, 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies. To access acclaimed NFB content, visit NFB.ca or download its apps for smartphones, tablets and connected TV.
