Making Noise in Silence

Two Korean American high school students navigate adolescence within the intersection of Deaf and Korean culture.
by
Mina T. Son
2011
19 mins

Making Noise in Silence follows two Korean-born students who attend the California School for the Deaf and explores how they navigate adolescence within the intersection of Deaf and Korean culture.

Making Noise in Silence is a sensitive and thoughtful documentary that would be an excellent addition to Disability Studies and Deaf Studies classes. Through the personal experiences of two Korean-American high school students, the film illustrates numerous key concepts, such as intersectional identity, oralism, multiple perspectives on deafness within the family, and the empowering impact of being in a culturally Deaf environment... It would also be useful in Asian-American Studies classes and other curriculum exploring the culture and history of California.
Annie Tucker
Ph.D., Lecturer, University of California, Los Angeles

Synopsis

Making Noise in Silence explores the richness and complexities of Deaf culture from the perspective of two Korean high school students who attend the California School for the Deaf, Fremont. Born and raised in South Korea, Jeongin Mun and Min Wook Cho have strong ties to their Korean heritage and learned Korean as their first language. However, what separates Jeongin and Min Wook from most children of immigrant families is that they are also deaf. When their families moved to the United States, their deafness automatically put them into an entirely separate cultural group with its own language, customs, and history.

Reviews
Scenes in which cheerleaders sign instead of scream and wrestling coaches must communicate in American Sign Language are as fascinating to watch as a young Korean-American artist laying out her plans for a large wall mural.
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
I plan to use this documentary in my ASL 101 classes as soon as it arrives. It is very comprehensive in explaining Deaf Culture in 19 minutes. The film covers how Deaf students in residential schools become family and support for one another. The film also explains the complexities of Deaf students' relationship within their own hearing biological families. We are fortunate in America that Deaf students are valued and educated. Thank you for making this documentary.
Bernadette Beury
Professor, The College of New Jersey

Awards and Screenings
Best Documentary Short - San Diego Asian Film Festival, 2011
Loni Ding Award in Social Issue Documentary - San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, 2012

Features and Languages

Film Features

  • Subtitles

Promotional Material

Promotional Stills

A still from the New Day film Making Noise In Silence. The back of a person sitting on a bleacher. They are wearing a bright orange t-shirt that reads “Stop Talking, Bring It!” in large black letters. The ground is a red gymnasium floor with a wrestling ring.
A still from the New Day film Top Spin. An orange table tennis ball rests in Teenage table tennis player Lily Zhang’s open palm. She crouches and looks in the direction of the ball, mouth slightly open in concentration. Her table tennis paddle is visible in her other hand as she prepares to serve the ball.

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