From bh News in reply from Director Josh Aronson to mail requesting info on
Sound and Fury: Six Years Later, the film sequel.
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Sound and Fury: Six Years Later is available now.
For home use it is $27.00.
The close captioned vhs is available immediately.
The DVD will be ready in about a month.
If you'd like one please send a $27.00 check with your address to:
Josh Aronson
35 East 20th street
NY NY 10003
Thanks for your interest in "Sound & Fury: 6 Years Later"
Josh
.....
From the files attached:
Sound & Fury: Six Years Later
By Director Josh Aronson
As the Executive Producer and director of "Sound and Fury" I've been
interviewed many times, done scores of Q&A's after screenings, participated
in dozens of panels and received e mail queries from around the world. The
most consistent question I get and still do to this day is: What happened to
Heather?
"Sound & Fury 6 Years Later" is a stand-alone half hour that quickly recaps
the events of "Sound and Fury" and then reveals what has happened since. The
film also has a lot to say about family love and the obligations and
responsibility that love demands.
In this follow up film we learn that Heather finally did get the implant at
9 years old, as did her 2 younger brothers, her mother, her deaf Aunt and
her 2 deaf kids.
All the implanted children in the Artinian family are speaking
understandably, going to mainstream schools, functioning in the hearing
world - all due to their implants.
Heather is 12 now. She is in a mainstream Middle School and is the only
deaf child in her class. She takes a full workload, plays basketball and
volleyball, stays near the top of her class and interacts easily with her
hearing peers.
It's clear that, though she is not hearing and occasionally uses an
interpreter, she is no longer shut out of the hearing world. In her
interview, which is understandable, it's obvious Heather delights in her
speaking ability and communication skills.
In the film we see that Heather is growing and learning through lip reading
and speech but she glides smoothly between the signing deaf world of her
parents and the hearing world she is now a part of.
We learn how Heather's parents, lonely for their extended family, moved back
to Long Island and changed their mind about implanting their children.
Heather's father, Peter, who was so resistant to the implant in "Sound &
Fury," talks about how, with observation and education, he has learned how
useful the implant can be for his children and how glad he is they have it.
When Sound and Fury was made in 1999, the Deaf Cultural community was very
resistant to the implantation of deaf children and often shunned those who
received implants. In the past few years, though, the Deaf culture has begun
to accept the implant for the powerful tool that it is. In the film we
interview Dr. Irene Leigh, Professor of Psychology at Gallaudet University
in Washington DC. who says the Deaf Community recognizes that though
implanted people can function well in the hearing world many of them
ultimately "come home to the Deaf world" to learn sign and be a part of a
community of people that is like them. And that they will be welcome.
Heather's entire family now lives with Marianne and Peter Sr. who were so
devastated in Sound and Fury when Heather did not receive the implant.
Heather's Aunt Jeanette and her deaf family live right next door and the
extended family often eat together making lively scenes with 6 implanted
members of this extraordinary family communicating. Some of the children
received their implants early and speak perfectly and others, like Heather,
received them later and still have a deaf tone to their voice.
The message about cochlear implants is explicit in "Sound and Fury: Six
Years Later" - the sooner the better when it comes to implants.
Marianne and Peter Sr., who ought to be empty nesters enjoying this time in
their lives, find themselves running a big family, largely responsible for
the children, and making key decisions for 3 generations of their family.
They are lovingly resigned to this responsibility that was not their choice
but, they know, is their obligation.
This resilient family is a remarkable testament to family devotion, tireless
responsibility to children and enduring love.
Total running time - 29 minutes.
* * * *
CREDITS:
An Aronson Films Production
Produced and Directed by Josh Aronson
Edited by Sakae Ishikawa
Photography by Brett Wiley
Original Music by David Jones
...........
And:
Sound & Fury: Six Years Later
The life of the Artinian family of Long Island was chronicled in the Academy
Award nominated film "Sound and Fury " that came out in 2000.
"Sound and Fury Six Years Later" is another engaging look at this
extraordinary family in the years since their first movie captured audiences
around the world.
"Sound and Fury" ended with 6-year-old Heather being denied the cochlear
implant she wanted to enable her to hear. With the family painfully divided
over this issue, Heather's parents decided to move their family to a deaf
community to bring their kids up in the signing deaf world.
In this stand-alone follow up film we learn that Heather finally did get the
implant at 9 years old, as did her 2 younger brothers, her mother, her deaf
aunt and her 2 deaf kids. Now 12, Heather is the only deaf child in her
mainstream school. She takes classes with everyone else, plays basketball
and volleyball, stays near the top of her class and is popular with her
hearing peers.
Heather's speech is understandable and she delights in her speaking ability
and communication skills.
We see that Heather is growing and learning through lip reading and speech
but she glides smoothly between the hearing world she is now a part of and
the signing deaf world of her parents. We learn how Heather's parents
changed their minds, moved back to Long Island and re-joined their family.
Heather's father, who was so resistant to the implant in "Sound & Fury,"
talks about how, with observation and education, he has learned how useful
the implant can be for his children and how glad he is they have it.
This resilient family is a remarkable testament to family devotion, tireless
responsibility to children and enduring love.
* * * *
An Aronson Films Production
Produced and Directed by Josh Aronson
............................................................................
................
