Directoras Eva Libertad and Miriam Garlo are sisters who have collaborated on two films that share a title and a delicate sensibility. The first project is a short film called Sorda, co-directed with Nuria Martín, which earned a notable nomination at the Goya Awards. The second project, also named Sorda, is the only Spanish feature to appear in Berlinale’s program outside the competition for that edition. Both works originate from a personal thread: Miriam Garlo’s childhood experience with deafness shapes her view of the world, and that insight becomes the through line for the stories. The films move between intimate moments and social observation, inviting viewers to witness how deaf and hearing lives intersect and challenge one another. The common title marks a deliberate conversation about voice, visibility, and belonging in contemporary cinema.
The project began when Miriam started contemplating motherhood and shared with Libertad the fears that come with becoming a mother as a deaf person living in a predominantly hearing world. After completing the short, Libertad felt that there was still a wealth of stories to tell about the bond between the deaf and hearing worlds and the difficulties that bond entails. That realization became the seed for a longer work, expanding the conversation to the experiences of deaf families and communities beyond a single moment.
The Berlinale presentation follows Angela, portrayed by Marlo, the first deaf actress to headline a Spanish production. Angela faces motherhood with her hearing partner Héctor, played by Álvaro Cervantes. Though Héctor signs regularly, pregnancy brings up insecurities and moments of distance tied to misunderstandings and the impotence that deafness can evoke in modern society. The film centers on how communication, empathy, and mutual support shape a couple’s journey into parenthood and how the wider world can smooth or complicate that path.
In a society that still does not educate or sensitize people to relate to those who are different, and that often fails to understand the richness of diversity, deafness remains a frontier with real barriers. When the topic of deaf people comes up, institutional ignorance and educational gaps persist in hindering real inclusion. According to Berlinale, society needs more accessible language options, greater public understanding, and policies that recognize deaf experiences as a valued part of culture.