Silent film speaks to all

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Ann Calamia wanted to do an independent, full-length feature film about "invisible differences."
Those are differences that nobody would notice about another person if they passed them walking down the street.
Those are differences like deafness and hard of hearing.
Calamia, co-owner of HNH Multimedia Productions in Doylestown, wrote and is directing Universal Signs, a 100-minute drama that is being filmed at several Northeast locations.
The lead actor is Anthony Natale, who is deaf. He plays Andrew d’Anjou, an artist whose fiancee’s 6-year-old daughter drowns in a swimming pool while in his care.
Andrew shuts himself off from the rest of the world, haunted by the memories of the death of Katie, whom he loved as his own.
Sabrina Lloyd plays Mary Callahan, who helps Andrew reconnect to society.
The rest of the cast includes three other deaf actors. Robert DeMayo portrays a con artist, while Troy Kotsur and Deanne Bray — who are husband and wife — play a dating couple.
There are two interpreters on the set at all times so the deaf actors can be included in the conversations.
The cast includes some familiar names. Playing Mary’s mom is veteran actress Margot Kidder, who filmed her scenes last week at a house in Buckingham, Bucks County. Lupe Ontiveros, who’s been seen in several episodes of Desperate Housewives, portrays the mother of Andrew’s fiancee. And Robert Picardo, who starred in Star Trek Voyager, plays a priest.
The score is being handled by Joseph Renzetti, the composer for the Buddy Holly Story.
Filming began on Jan. 23 and will wrap up in Philadelphia on Monday. Then, there will be six days of filming in California.
"We’re really proud of everything we’ve put together," Calamia said. "It’s been a wonderful experience."
Once filming is done, the crew will edit it, provide captioning and incorporate the score.
They’re going for a PG-13 rating.
"We’re hoping to have a rough cut to show at a premiere in mid-July," said producer/assistant director Catherine Miller, co-owner of HNH.
Tentative plans are for the movie to make its formal American premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. It’ll also be entered into film festivals at Toronto, Tokyo and Cannes.
Universal Signs is largely a silent film that will include sign language and subtitles.
"It’s like going to a foreign film," Calamia said. "Sign language is so expressive and beautiful. It’s like a ballet."
Added Miller: "It’s so mesmerizing to watch."
The story centers on Andrew’s efforts to overcome depression, loneliness and tragedy.
The movie begins a year after the young girl’s tragic death and includes flashback scenes of Andrew pulling Katie’s lifeless body out of the pool. Miller describes the ending as "hopeful."
The dream sequences are in color, while other scenes are in muted colors to give a feeling of depression.
"It’s a universal story that everyone can relate to," Calamia said.
The Philadelphia scenes were shot at 18 locations, including Drexel University, the University of the Arts, Mayfair Diner, Our Lady of Ransom Roman Catholic Church and a house on Large Street in Castor Gardens.
The local house belongs to Denise Logan, who works for Creative Access, an organization that fights for the rights of the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. In the movie, Mary lives in the house.
The Mayfair Diner is where Andrew and Mary meet.
Our Lady of Ransom is used as the church where Andrew seeks spiritual guidance.
There’s also a driving scene through Northeast streets as Andrew and Mary go to and from Easter dinner.
The movie is making Carol Finkle proud. The South Philadelphia woman is the mother of two adult children who are deaf. In 1992, she founded Creative Access and still serves as its director.
According to Creative Access, there are 350,000 deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals in the Philadelphia region. The group fights for, among other things, "accessibility beyond ramps."
While the federal Americans with Disabilities Act makes it easier for disabled people to travel, it doesn’t give deaf people full access to movies. Hollywood is exempt from the ADA, and thus doesn’t have to provide subtitles in its movies.
Finkle is delighted that the movie gives Natale such a challenging role in communicating the storyline.
"It’s never been told through the eyes of a lead deaf actor," she said.
The movie, in Finkle’s opinion, will promote inclusion and opportunity for deaf people. She hopes it goes international so others will understand and appreciate the deaf culture and the beauty of sign language.
In 1986, the deaf community and others embraced Children of a Lesser God, a movie starring Marlee Matlin about a deaf student. Yet, there were no captions for the film.
"Universal Signs," Finkle said, "will change all that." ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com