Audible: Vaincre sur tous les terrains

Audible (2021) is a documentary about life at Maryland School for the Deaf, specifically their football team, after suffering a tragic loss. This was a great and insightful little documentary. It was so important and I'm glad these people's stories were told.

The cinematography was beautiful which I never really expect from a documentary as it's usually not needed, but there were some gorgeous shots that added to the experience of watching! The colour palettes were great, and helped the film be very visually pleasing.

The sound design was used very well and in a smart way. I liked that the film didn't use much sound or dialogue at all, it felt a lot more inclusive to those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The documentary introduced us to the people involved and their lives very well, and we got an insightful look into the struggles they have faced. Amaree seemed like a lovely person, I was happy to learn his story. It showed the relationships between those at the school, and I thought that was really beautiful.

The film was consistently interesting, with good pacing that flowed well. It was super educational and tackles a lot of sensitive issues well and with respect. The ending was incredibly touching, and left me wanting to know more about this school and the pupils.

At the 94th Academy Awards last week, "CODA" won Best Picture. That focus on the daughter of a deaf family was undeniably one of the year's best.

There was another deafness-themed production nominated that night. Matthew Ogens's "Audible" focuses on the Maryland School for the Deaf, and how the students play sports as well as come to terms with a friend's suicide.

Most of the documentary is told in sign language with subtitles. Rarely have I seen something like this. One of the most impressive documentary shorts out there. Definitely check it out.

Competing for the Oscars 2022 in the short film documentary category, it is directed by Matthew Ogens.

The film follows Amaree, a teenager who plays on an American football team. The difference is that he is deaf, as well as the coach and all the team members. The team competes for the national championship, playing and beating teams with hearing players. A defeat, after more than 40 victories in a row, made the whole team unite even more towards the common goal, which was to overcome that obstacle and win the championship.

Director Ogens intersperses moments of the team with interviews with some players, among them Amaree, with the adoptive parents of a player who committed suicide at age 15 due to bullying he suffered at the listening school, and with members of the cheerleaders, among them a gay teenager, Amaree's friend, whose first love was just the boy who killed himself.

Although it's a documentary, in the moments when the players are in the locker room or on the field, the scenes felt rehearsed, scripted, not spontaneous. It was as if the director were directing a fiction.

This lack of spontaneity in the teams' scenes is a point that leaves the documentary without life, it doesn't take off, staying in the same way until its conclusion.

The coach's testimony, at the end, is very interesting, as he says that together, the boys overcame the challenges and obstacles of a deaf person on the football field, but he was sure they would face greater obstacles and prejudices when they left that bubble.

The players, coaches and parents are likeable characters, and although short, it's an enjoyable and heartwarming 40 minutes. If you enjoyed Last Chance U, then you'll probably like Audible.

It does feel like it needs to be feature length, or maybe even a limited series following a season with the Maryland Orioles. Come on Netflix, make it happen!

This documentary was just poorly done. Great topic. Great stories, I think? Too hard to tell. Nothing is fully told. Incredibly choppy. The final game sequence was poorly shot- no suspense, didn't know what was happening. So disappointing was really looking forward to it.

I hope someone else picks up this story, as others have said, and create a real full-length documentary and/or mini series.