Universally "Speaking"

How much can be said without saying a word? This Phillyist has a great appreciation for silent films that stand the test of time, even without the bells and whistles of technology—or, you know, the advantage of being able to hear what people are saying. (If you've never seen Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, put it at the top of your Netflix list immediately.) This weekend, a different kind of silent film will be premiering at the Keswick in Glenside.

The film is Universal Signs, a film presented in American Sign Language (with subtitles). Although it's not like the silent films of yesteryear, it should be no less compelling; Universal Signs took top honors at last year's Philadelphia Film Festival. The film's official website boasts that it is the "first feature film that embraces sign language in the storytelling of a film, rendering it a foreign language film for the hearing audience." We think the concept is great, and the story is the kind of thing that art-film lovers everywhere will embrace:

After the death of his fiancée’s daughter while in his care, Andrew (Anthony Natale, Mr. Holland’s Opus), a Deaf artist, becomes a prisoner of his own mind. Tormented day and night by memories and self-blame, Andrew falls in a downward spiral of depression and anger that alienates everyone around him. It is only through a serendipitous friendship and new love with Mary (Sabrina Lloyd, Sports Night) that Andrew is able to sense the life around him - forgive himself, rediscover his muse and experience the transformative power of love.

Universal Signs was filmed in such a way that maximizes the visualization of the sign language; with the subtitles for hearing members of the audience, it should be a moving experience for any and all who are open to this new kind of silent film.

Universal Signs Premiere
Tomorrow, Saturday, 5/30/09
Screenings at 1:00 p.m. (doors open at noon) and 7:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:00 p.m.)
Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside (map)
Tickets: $15 (1:00 p.m.); $20 (7:00 p.m.)