CODA (child of deaf adults) is a 2021 American remake film based on the French movie, La Famille Bélier. This drama-comedy film directed by Sian Header is already tipped to be an Oscar Nomination. Among its releases, thus far this film received 8 IMDB and overall pleasant reviews. Another interesting fact about this movie is that, the deaf characters are actual deaf actors and actresses. CODA is one of the movies that attempt to portray the reality of living as a child of deaf adults in society.

Rossi's Journey As a CODA

Centered in the character of Rossi(Emillia Jones), we will be taken to see how she deals with day-to-day life and also the dynamic that happens in the family. The movie starts with a scene showing Rossi, Frank (The father), and Leo (the brother) fishing with a song playing in the background. In the first few scenes, we wouldn’t know that they were all deaf. But later, Rossi, the daughter who is the only child that’s not deaf, starts talking in ASL (American sign language) with her parents. The movie progresses to show Rossie’s experience as a child of deaf adults at school. She struggled with bullies and also low self-esteem despite having the talent to be a great singer. However, with support from her family and friends, she managed to face hers and her family’s problems.

Outstanding Casts

While watching this movie, I watched the version with the unsubtitled ASL. Since I don’t know ASL, it was like watching a silent movie except with a few scenes where Rossi was talking. The choosing of the casts were outstanding as it was actually casting deaf actors and actresses. The director itself through an interview with BBC mentioned that deafness isn’t something that people wear. I think that’s a great step towards more actual inclusion in the film industry.

The movie definitely opened up my eyes to the day-today life of a CODA. Their differences shouldn’t be something to joke about nor a reason to bully them. The movie was quite successful in raising awareness about CODA and invite us to become more compassionate if we ever encounter a deaf person or even a CODA. I would personally love to see this movie played during an English class or media class at schools. As this movie is a great medium to introduce students about the idea of empathy, respect, compassion, and even inclusivity.

When you watch a movie, the filming technique is also something that you need to pay attention to. Overtime, as you sharpen your senses, you will understand a bit of cinematography and the common techniques used for certain genres of film. My impression with the technique used to film this movie was great. With low and soft lighting, the choosing of the camera angles, and even the sound, they were all fitting to build the atmosphere of the movie. It was like watching a documentary film that I never wanted to end. There is no doubt, this movie gets 8 IMDB. If I were to rate this movie, I would rate it 7 out of 10. The message in this movie was quite powerful and I do hope, in the future, there will be more films like CODA.

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