Photo: Chaiel Schaffel / WBZ NewsRadio
NEWTON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The multi-day Belmont World Film's 21st Annual Family Festival has returned to Greater Boston to offer up inclusive film screenings with multiple languages including American Sign Language (ASL).
WBZ's Chaiel Schaffel was in the crowd for the New England premiere of OKThanksBye at the West Newton Cinema, a Dutch film centered on the unexpected road trip two 12-year-old students took from Rotterdam to Paris. The institution the girls attend is a boarding school for the deaf, and the plot takes a turn once one of the student's grandmothers falls ill.
After the screening there was time for discussion with ASL interpreters, as many of the kids in the audience were deaf.
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"I myself am hard of hearing, and so I found this film to be particularly resonant with me," BWF Executive Director Ellen Gitelman said.
Discussion afterwards led to a moment of education and relatability for the kids too, as one of the accessibility activists presenting had her hearing aids die mid-event.
BWF is a non-profit that operates as a sort of cultural exchange with films from across the world at one festival, often times accompanied with international food experiences. This year's festival runs until January 21, 2024.
WBZ's Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.
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