South London writer/director Ed Lovelace is best known for his 2014 film The Possibilities are Endless, which used immersive techniques to chart music star Edwyn Collins’ recovery from a stroke. Immersive film-making techniques are also used to enable the viewer to enter into the world of Lawand, a profoundly deaf Kurdish refugee child whom Lovelace encountered at the age of seven, two years after his family had arrived in the UK from Iraq.

While Ed Lovelace is a hearing filmmaker, at the beginning of the film’s production he underwent an intense British Sign Language (BSL) course, which enriched his understanding of who Lawand was: “Before I knew sign, I thought Lawand was quite reserved, but he is so smart and funny; he just likes playing with people.” He also ensured that his team contained the perspective of an Iraqi Kurd (producer Beyan Taher); and of deaf people (producers Sean Chandler & Sam Arnold).

The latter not only gave key insights into how to depict Lawand’s audio experience and ways of expressing himself, but also provided Lawand’s family with their first role models of what could be achieved by Deaf adults. Lawand himself was particularly impressed that Sam was previously captain of the Fulham Deaf Football Club! We are delighted that both Ed and Sam will be joining us after the film for a Q&A.

“I defy anyone not to be moved … as life-affirming as cinema gets“. Nick Howells, Evening Standard

“What’s particularly impressive is the way that, through immersive techniques involving sound, and skittish editing that evokes fractured, traumatic memory snippets, the film tries to capture Lawand’s lived experience. It’s a remarkable achievement“. Wendy Ide, Observer

A partnership screening with Merton Centre for Independent Living.

The film is in English, Kurdish and British Sign Language (BSL) with English closed captions (i.e. subtitles for both dialogue and non-dialogue sound).