A Life Without Words

With A Life Without Words, Adam Isenberg delivers a sober but powerful work. We discover the daily life of three deaf brothers and sisters who live in a remote area with their family. These young people have never had access to an adapted education, nor even been exposed to sign language. Lacking communication tools, the three share very little - even with each other - and physical aggression seems to be a recurrent means of expression among the trio. And this is understandable: it is difficult to imagine the solitude that must inhabit them and the degree of forced internalization with which each of them must deal.

The strength of the film lies in the orchestrated meeting between Tomasa and the siblings. Deaf from birth and a Nicaraguan sign language teacher, the teacher is determined to teach the trio their first signed words. At first, there was some resistance, but gradually, Tomasa was able to establish a bond of trust with each child. With her boundless perseverance, the teacher quickly becomes moved by the potential of her students.

In my opinion, the ingenuity of the direction lies in the total absence of narration. A film of very few words, the audience is essentially informed by the bodily expressions of each protagonist - under the watchful eye of the camera - and to whom Isenberg gives the necessary space to assert themselves.

This documentary leads viewers to question the importance of language as a cognitive process, access to education, the rural condition and social classes, privilege and injustice, the psychological impact of isolation - to name but a few topics. Through an unsettling mix of tragedy and hope, this moving work avoids giving definitive answers to the difficult questions it poses. The film ends on a bittersweet note that cannot leave you indifferent.

 

Anouk Vallières
Programmer, urban gleaner & cinephile