Tanz der Hände
Dance of Hands – The Renaissance of the Sign Language ot the Deaf in Europe
Danse des mains – La renaissance de la langue des signes des sourds en Europe
Switzerland, November 1997
FILM,
Documentary,
68 min.
- directed by
- Phil Dänzer, Peter Hemmi
- Written by
- Phil Dänzer, Peter Hemmi
- Status
- In distribution
An unusual love story, that tells the love of the deaf for their very own language, the language of signs. It is a language that through the 19th and 20th centuries was banned in many countries as being “ape like”. “Tanz der Hände” attempts to show that on the contrary, sign language is richly expressive and beautiful. It introduces the viewer to the cultural centres of the deaf, and to on-going research into sign language in France, Switzerland, Germany and Sweden. It introduces a number of deaf poets, actors and dancers, in rehearsal. And it shows deaf children and adolescents at school in Geneva and Stockholm, where they are tough also using sign language.
credits
- World Premiere
- November 1997
- Original Version
- Sign language (french/german subtitles), colour, 16mm, 68 min.
- Production
- Etoile Productions Phil Dänzer, SRF Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen
- Producer
- directed by
- Phil Dänzer, Peter Hemmi
- Written by
- Phil Dänzer, Peter Hemmi
- Music
- Pierre Favre
World Sales / World Rights
- World Rights
- Etoile Productions
Worldwide Distribution
- Switzerland
-
Etoile Productions
Distribution
Release date: tba
Festivals
(a selection)
-
Brussels, Brussels Film Festival
21.01.1998 - 31.01.1998