A Taiwanese association for the hearing impaired is planning to hold the first Taiwan International Deaf Film Festival in the second half of the year.
The event will feature movies focusing on the stories of hearing impaired people. It is also aimed at helping the public gain a better understanding of the arts, culture and the lives of members of the deaf community.
While there are quite a few films about hearing impairment in other countries, Taiwan has never produced a film of its own on the subject.
Organizers say that most people have no idea about sign language, deaf people’s way of thinking and the difficulties the deaf and hearing impaired face in life.
To attract a wider audience, the association is planning to invite Taiwanese film critics and directors to recommend films to the public.
The United Kingdom was the first country in the world to hold a deaf film festival. Since then Japan, Hong Kong, the United States and several European countries have all held deaf film festivals of their own.