AL-SAYYID, Israel -- In the picturesque Israeli Negev desert lies the Bedouin Village of El-Sayed. Though it may seem like just another of the "unrecognised villages" in these sandy plains, something sets the place apart: it has the largest percentage of Deaf people in the world.
Across generations, a unique sign language has evolved to become the most popular language in this fringe society that accepts deafness as naturally as life itself. The village's tranquillity is disturbed when Salim decides to change his Deaf son's fate using a cochlear Implant.
Two hundred years ago, Sheik El-Sayed arrived at the Negev desert in the south of Israel. The Sheik was Bedouin, a Muslim-Arab tribe of herders which had been walking the deserts of Arabia with their families and flock for centuries. Sheik El-Sayed was unique: he was Deaf, and his deafness was genetically passed on to his sons, grandsons and great-grandsons.
Today, El-Sayed village has the largest percentage of Deaf people in the world, still, hearing aids aren't prevalent; for the people of El-Sayed, deafness is not a handicap. Over generations, a unique "El-Sayed" Sign Language has evolved making it the most popular communication method amongst Deaf and Hearing.
The tranquillity of the village is interrupted by Salim, father of the little boy, Muhammad, who has come to the decision to dramatically change his deaf son's fate using the advanced medical process called the 'Cochlear Implant Operation'.
Salim's decision is evoking great conflict and threatening the village's tradition of coexistence between Deaf and Hearing. This rare coexistence has created a society that accepts deafness as natural as life itself, making the viewer wonder about the discrimination of disabled people in the so-called "advanced" modern world.
"Voices from El-Sayed" follows the year-long frustrating rehabilitation progress of Muhammad through the point of view of the Deaf Community of the village and offers us intimate cinematic dialogue with these marvellous people.
Original title: Voices from El Sayed (Oded Adomi Leshem, 2008)
© Licensed by First Hand Films.
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