For the first time in the Bay of Plenty, a movie screening with open captions will be held for the deaf and hard of hearing community. The event is a collaboration between Hearing Support Bay of Plenty and Sonic Cinema. They will be showing ‘The Duke’ on Sunday, April 28, at 1.30pm at The Historic Village Cinema.
The movie will have captions throughout, making it easier for people with hearing loss to follow the story. Helen Rodgers, the manager of Hearing Support BOP Tauranga, says that while people with hearing loss can hear some sounds in a movie, understanding speech can be difficult, and they often miss parts of the plot.
Helen, who hasn’t been to a cinema in about 20 years due to her own hearing difficulties, is excited about the event. She says that while some cinemas offer transcription devices for people with hearing loss, they don’t usually include captions on the screen.
Melanie Mills, the manager of Sonic Cinema, says this is the first time they are holding an open caption screening in the Bay of Plenty. Since 2017, Sonic Cinema has been organizing low-sensory cinema events for people with sensory, neurological, or physical needs.
The movie they have chosen, ‘The Duke’, is a British film set in the 1960s. It tells the true story of a taxi driver who stole a portrait from the National Gallery in London and demanded that the government invest more in elderly care in exchange for its return.
If the event is successful, Melanie hopes to organize regular Sunday matinee screenings for the deaf and hard of hearing community. She and Helen envision it becoming a sort of film club, where members can suggest movies they’d like to see.
The event is about inclusion and meeting needs that haven’t been met in traditional cinema settings, says Melanie. Bookings are essential, and family members are welcome to attend. Snacks will be available for purchase at the cinema. For more information and to book, visit www.theincubator.co.nz/event-details/the-duke or email tauranga@hearing.org.nz.
