Deaf (film)

''Deaf'' () is a 2025 Spanish drama film written and directed by Eva Libertad, a continuation of the 2023 Goya Award-nominated short film of the same name co-directed by Eva Libertad, that starred the sister of Eva Libertad, Miriam Garlo. This feature length film also stars deaf actress Miriam Garlo along with Álvaro Cervantes, Elena Irureta, and Joaquín Notario. It follows Ángela, a deaf woman, who is expecting a child with her hearing partner, Héctor.

The film selected in Panorama 2025 had its premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival on 15 February 2025, where it won the Panorama Audience Award for Best Feature Film. It was released in Spanish theaters on 4 April 2025 by A Contracorriente Films.

Synopsis

Ángela, a deaf woman working in a pottery studio in rural Spain, is expecting a baby with her hearing partner, Héctor. The pregnancy stirs up her anxieties about motherhood and her ability to communicate with her daughter. The birth of the baby girl triggers a crisis for the couple, as Ángela navigates raising her daughter in a world that does not cater to her needs.

Cast

* Miriam Garlo as Ángela
* Álvaro Cervantes as Héctor
* Elena Irureta as Elvira
* Joaquín Notario as Fede

Production

The film written and directed by , stars deaf actress Miriam Garlo, who also featured in the 37th Goya Awards nominated short film of the same name, with Álvaro Cervantes, Elena Irureta, and Joaquín Notario. It is produced by Miriam Porté for Distinto Films, Nuria Muñoz Ortín for Nexus CreaFilms and Amalia Blanco for A Contracorriente Films. The film has the participation of RTVE, Movistar Plus+, and 7TV Región of Murcia, and will be distributed in Spanish cinemas by A Contracorriente Films. It was filmed in Murcia for six weeks in June and July 2024.

Release

''Deaf'' had its world premiere in the Panorama section of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival on 15 February 2025.

In December 2024, Spain's Latido Films acquired the marketing rights of the film.

The film was presented on 15 March 2025 at the 28th Málaga Film Festival, in competition for the Golden Biznaga for Best Spanish Film.

The film was released in Spanish theaters on 4 April 2025 by A Contracorriente Films. Its festival run also included selections for screenings at the 2025 Seattle International Film Festival ('Ibero-American competition' slate), the 72nd Sydney Film Festival, the 40th Guadalajara International Film Festival (Ibero-American Feature section), the , and the Transilvania Film Festival. The film was also part of Horizon section of the 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it was screened from 4 July to 12 July 2025.

Reception

Jonathan Holland of ''ScreenDaily'' assessed that the film "authentically explores the challenges faced by deaf individuals in a hearing world".

Víctor A. Gómez of ''La Opinión de Málaga'' welcomed how the film "achieves what it sets out to do without heapemotional low blows or looking like a triptych from a regional ministry of social affairs ".

Andrea G. Bermejo of ''Cinemanía'' rated the film 5 out of 5 stars, writing that as the story becomes universal, ''Deaf'' turns into "a film about the terrible, deep and secret fears that come with motherhood".

of ''Fotogramas'' rated ''Deaf'' 4 out of 5 stars, highlighting "the fresh and natural tone chosen in the narration" as the best thing about the film.

Accolades

See also

* List of Spanish films of 2025

References

External links

*

{{Golden Biznaga for Best Spanish Film
2020s Spanish films
2020s Spanish-language films
2025 drama films
2025 films
Spanish drama films
Films about deaf people
Films shot in the Region of Murcia
Films about disability in Spain
Films about parenting