If I Knew What You Said

IF I KNEW WHAT YOU SAID brings together in a charming fashion two unlikely groups of people who have a really hard time expressing themselves — adolescents and the hearing-impaired. Nina is a rebellious teenager who plays in a rock band. Moody and aloof, she acts up and fights with her upper-class parents until she's suspended from school, then shipped off to a camp for deaf kids so she'll gain some discipline and “learn how lucky she is that she can hear.” There, Nina meets Kiko, a young deaf man with a sad face who was abandoned by his parents. Mutually needy, and brought together by their love of playing “Rock Band,” he and Nina start to bond. The phenomenal 17-year-old singer-songwriter Zoe Sandejas, daughter of the film's director, plays Nina; and Kiko is played by Romalito Mallari, a talented deaf dancer who hopes this movie might help him find the mom and dad who really did desert him. This is a heartwarming film featuring impressive young musicians, plus a guest performance by alt rock band Sugarfree. (In English, Tagalog, and American Sign Language with subtitles) –B.B.