'DAWN OF THE DEAF': Groundbreaking Horror Short Centers Deaf Protagonists
After a mysterious audio pulse engulfs the planet, everyone who hears it is struck dead, leaving only the deaf untouched.
Reeling after this apocalyptic event, a small band of deaf survivors soon realize the true horror is just beginning.
Written and directed by Rob Savage, the British short film DAWN OF THE DEAF is a groundbreaking take on the zombie apocalypse.
In an interview with video streaming platform Vimeo, Savage stated he is a fan of the iconic zombie films of George A. Romero. He also bemoaned how derivative and trite subsequent zombie stories have become in the years since Romero's classic films were released.
Seeking to inject originality and a unique perspective into a zombie story, he and collaborator Jed Shepherd decided to focus on the pivotal events in the lives of six deaf protagonists in the moments right before "the pulse" destroys civilization as we know it.
In order to engage British hearing and deaf viewers, dialogue is spoken in English along with British Sign Language and English subtitles.
The result is a mesmerizing, gripping, gory, and disturbing zombie short that is an important breakthrough in the onscreen representation of people with disabilities - a marginalized group often ignored and neglected in many conversations about more inclusive representation in the media.
Watch DAWN OF THE DEAF here ...
(WARNING: This short film contains adult themes and situations, and is suitable for MATURE audiences only. Viewer discretion is advised.)