Fictional cinema and sign language: key approaches

Abstract

This article explores the fundamental differences between four approaches in fictional film related to sign language. These approaches are: cinema accessible to the Deaf community through sign language interpretation; cinema that includes sign language within the context of disability; cinema in sign language that employs sign language as the main language without necessarily focusing on disability; and Deaf cinema, an umbrella term that refers to the connection of cinema with sign language and the Deaf community, highlighting the sense of belonging that cinema has in this context. The analysis breaks down the key aspects that distinguish these approaches, including their origins, aims, impacts on audiences, and their portrayal of Deaf people and sign language in film. It explores how filmmaking with sign language interpretation improves accessibility for Deaf people. Additionally, it explores how incorporating sign language as an essential narrative element contributes to better representation, greater participation and the normalisation of sign language, culture and Deaf people in the film industry. This article seeks to shed some light on these forms of filmmaking using sign language and, furthermore, emphasises the importance of considering these dimensions when depicting sign language in cinema.