Tragically Deaf

Maxx Corkindale, Paul Vagnarelli

Paul is having a great day. He has a loving family, a good job, and enjoys life to the fullest. It’s a pity that the documentary crew following him doesn’t seem to see that…

Why we chose this film.

This film offers a playful yet powerful reminder that stereotypes, assumptions, and generalizations can get in the way of genuine connection with others.

Filmmaker

Inspiration

My friend Paul is profoundly deaf.

When I first met Paul, I admit, I treated him differently. As I grew to know him more and learn about how he lives, I started to understand more about Deafness and learned that Paul really wasn’t any different to anyone else.

I started to see how some other people also treated Paul – as I had done – and we decided to make a film about it, to try and change the way people see others who are living with Deafness.

When you are living with something that society deems not ‘normal’, it can be hard to fit in, hard to be welcomed, hard to be treated always thought of as less than a person. It can be lonely.

But when more people learn and more people accept, we realise that everyone is welcome, and everyone is whole.

Meet the Filmmaker

Maxx Corkindale

Director

Maxx Corkindale

Director

Maxx is an Australian cinematographer who has shot many different projects over the years. After meeting Paul on the set of a TV series, they thought it would be fun to make a short film about his life. Tragically Deaf is Maxx’s first foray into Directing.

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