Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably have heard something about the movie named "CODA." CODA, the movie is, well, a movie. CODA, the acronym, stands for "Child[ren] of Deaf Adults." Music and language buffs will also know that coda refers to a challenging, brief part of a musical piece (or other performance) that occurs at the end of the piece and is structured differently than what came before it.
The movie, which includes starring roles for noted Deaf actors Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, and Daniel Durant, is the story of a hearing child ("Ruby" played by Emilia Jones) of Deaf parents; Ruby has a passion for singing. IMDB provided this description of the storyline: "As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) Ruby is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the family's fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her love of music and her fear of abandoning her parents." See the data at the IMDB (link at the end).
"CODA" as a term came from work since 1983 by Children of Deaf Adults International (CODA International) founded by Millie Brother and her colleagues to build an organization that captured the unique, bi-lingual experiences of people who knew the lives of both hearing and Deaf worlds. I encourage people to investigate CODA International, an organization devoted to community, support, and advocacy for those individuals. (Link at the end.)
CODA the movie goes into general release this week. It has been shown in multiple places (festivals such as the famous Sundance Film Festival where it won multiple awards) and been reviewed by widely known film critics. The movie has received strong reviews from both professional movie critics and individuals.
By the way, my life sometimes resembles features of living in a subterranean environment—under a rock. I hope to get “out from under” for long enough to see this film soon (even if on a small screen), and that you will, too.
Sources and Resources
Children of Deaf Adults International (CODA International)
Trailer
Amy Kaufman of the Los Angeles Times published a report of the behind-the-scenes adaptations required of the moviemakers, actors, and others involved in creating CODA. It's available at "The Deaf still face ‘outright discrimination’ in Hollywood. How ‘CODA’ broke the mold": https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-08-13/coda-film-deaf-sign-language-hollywood