Single-channel video (color,stereo sound), 12m, 2021
Synopsis
Born with hearing loss, Shing has only ever perceived a low hum and communicates through sign language. After receiving a cochlear implant, she become eager to experience sounds never heard before. Nature brings joy—forests and the sea feel alive—but the noise of pedestrian zones, markets, and even home soon becomes overwhelming. At a nightclub, she meet a girl who also wears a hearing aid. Sharing a discomfort with the world’s noise, she reminds them that the world always holds both beauty and disturbance. Together, they dance as Shing puts the hearing aid back on.
Director Statement
While walking on the streets or back at home, I notice the cultural influences from mainland China, accompanied by the pervasive “noise” of TikTok sound effects everywhere.
“The Sound of Us” is about a deaf girl who regains her hearing ability, only to discover
how it complicates her life. Through storytelling and dance, the film addresses my questions about identity, and the cacophony of modern society existence.