CIFF

The Tuba Thieves

CIFF Streams

April 2, 2023 - April 9, 2023

year
2023
country
USA
language
American Sign Language, English
runtime
91
closed captions
No
audio description
No
english subtitles
Yes
film contact
The Film Collaborative

A sonic sensation at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, this experimental mix of documentary, recreation (cast with Deaf performers), and essay uses a series of Los Angeles high school tuba thefts as a jumping-off point to skillfully explore the ways in which we engage with sound, music, and speech. —M.G.


Loosely hung on the backdrop of a string of tuba burglaries from high schools in Southern California, THE TUBA THIEVES is not a whodunnit crime documentary; instead it is an artistic encounter with the Deaf experience. The score of Los Angeles’ urban soundscape sets the tone, reverberating steady highway hums, jarring airplane flyovers, and wildfire-fighting helicopters overhead. Interspersed are stories of Nyke, a Deaf drummer, and Geovanny, a hearing marching band student, as they navigate their day to day, peppered with reenactments of lesser-known “silent” concerts throughout history. Exceptionally enlightening, this rare perspective illustrates how the world is constantly communicating. From this unique purview, audiences are challenged to take a closer look at the details surrounding them and reevaluate their own definition of listening. —A.B.


GUEST(S) ARE SCHEDULED TO BE IN ATTENDANCE FOR Q&A

Parability Cinema
CIFF47 Streams
New Direction Competition
Reel Women Direct Award for Excellence in Directing By a Woman

Community Partners

Community Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque