1. FILMS COMING OUT SOON MONTHLY REVIEWS
stands out, as he plays a much
darker role than he usually does
ONCE HEARD and pulls it off, very well.
Overall this is a brilliant
short film which should not be
missed! The film will mainly be
shown in educational environ-
Genre: Documentary/Educational.
ments s, however it will also be
For audiences: 15+. uploaded onto YouTube so that a
Head Cinematographers: Alice Fenwick and wider audience can access it.
Olivia Farrell. Written by Tom Mannington.
Cast: Starring Rebecca Cobb and Charles Russell, Rating-*****
with support from Charlotte Elson, Laura Officer,
Lewis Crowe and Clifford Waugh. One of the best
Running Time: 5 minutes. shorts of the year!
The talented makers of this film ensured they did
plenty of research into the serious subject matter be-
fore starting on the project. This can be seen from the
attention to detail they have put into the film. They
even got in contact with The Royal Association for
Deaf People to ask them their thoughts on how to go
about approaching the issue.
‘Once Heard’ is a film aimed to make an impact
on audiences and make people more aware of the diffi-
culties deaf people face in their life, particularly in
communicating and dealing with social situations.
The film follows a young lady called Laura, who goes Young audiences can especially relate to Laura’s char-
to a sign language centre to seek help after having a acter as she goes on a night out, that unfortunately
tragic accident which results in her becoming deaf. She ends badly. It tries to warn people to be more careful
is still coming to terms with her accident and is nerv- when they go out.
ous about going to see the teacher at the centre. Once
they begin talking, Laura relaxes and tells the teacher The film uses quick cuts and slick editing to keep
about the night that changed her life forever. The film the story going. It has a very realistic feel to it, as its
flashbacks to show Laura at a bar with her friends and set in believable and authentic locations. The actors
the traumatic events that lead to her losing her hearing. give convincing, raw performances that portray the
Towards the end of the film, we return to present day emotions their character would feel, successfully to the
and see Laura learning her first sign. audience. The whole cast sensitively performed the
script. Charles Russell’s performance particularly
MARCH 2011-REEL FILM-151. MARCH 2011-REEL FILM-152.