The Silent Child wins a much deserving Oscar
March 5, 2018
Oscars are known to celebrate excellence and perfection. They are a source of inspiration for many. But they have been plagued by allegations of exclusivity and discrimination. But Oscars 2018 told a different story. The Oscars this year, keeping in mind the sexual misconduct allegations against many in the film community, decided to portray an image of accommodation and inclusivity.
One of the winners, however, showed that excellence did not know gender and age. The Silent Child, which tells the story of a girl who struggles to communicate, was named best live action short film. The jury was unanimous in its decision to honour a great work depicting the struggles faced by a 4-year old deaf girl.
It sheds light on the difficulties faced by her in her life. She finds a ray of hope in a social worker, Rachel Shenton, who teaches her sign language. It is a source of motivation for many kids around the world and inspires them to live meaningful lives.
The most beautiful moment came during the acceptance speech when Rachel Shenton, keeping up to her promise she made to her 6-year old co-actor, used sign language to thank the audience. “I made a promise to our six-year-old lead actress that I would sign this speech. My hands are shaking a little bit so I apologise,” she said. “Our movie is about a deaf child being born into a world of silence. It’s not exaggerated or sensationalised for the movie” she added.
