About this Short Film
This story is about a deaf and mute kid 'Leo' who transferred to a new school, and is then bullied by two bullies, Kai and Neil. They call him names, and then Kai pressures Neil to take off his hearing aid and then it breaks, making Leo transfer schools and the two bullies get a two-week suspension. Neil is impacted by this emotionally and when he returns back to school, he is met with backlash from all of his classmates and even Kai himself. Neil suffers from it, and regrets everything he did. Ezra (Neil's best friend) asks him to return a book to the public library, where Leo and Neil meet, and Neil finally explains his part, and Leo says "it's alright."
Film Details
Film Transcript
Huh? Oh, I'm trying to get—oh, what are you trying to do? Slam here. Huh? Get him. Get him. Get off. Get off, little boy. Huh? What are you trying to do? Oh, yeah. What are you trying to do?
What's going on here? I was just trying to help get a book. I'm trying to help. We're trying to help. Go to class. Yes, I was just helping. Go to class. Go now. Yes, I was just helping. I'll see you next time. See you next time.
All right, boys. Let's move on now. Pay attention. Let's do a few questions first.
That's useless. You won't hear it. You won't hear it anyway. Who cares? Not like this teacher's going to do anything anyway, bro. He doesn't know who it is. It doesn't matter. Just take it off. Just yank it off, mate. Does not matter. He's not—oh no.
Kai, principal's office this way, mate. Who cares about your teaching, mate? Who cares about this? Take a seat. Come around, boys.
A hearing aid is not a choice. Yeah, whatever.
I'm sorry, Leo. You broke it. Sorry. Yeah. And you're both involved. You encouraged him, did you not? Sorry. And you broke it, right? Yes. I'm sorry, Leo. Two‑week suspension as of now. Whatever. Nobody cares. Leo's family decided that Leo needs to transfer to a different school. I'm sorry, Leo, because you guys have made him feel not safe at all. I know it's not your fault entirely because Kai put you up to it. But what have you got to say for yourself?
Um, I'm sorry. I especially—stop that. Stop that. That's enough.
For all of this, I am truly sorry, Leo. My brother's also deaf and mute. What have I done? I am sorry. I hope I can accept you. What a— the wild hearing aids. Hate you. Sorry. Why are you here?
Oh, I'm sorry about your hearing. I was special into it. I shouldn't have done it. Um, you know, my brother's also just slow and so I feel guilty as well. I am sorry.
It's all right. You don't need a voice to suffer and you don't need a voice to show kindness. Choose empathy before the bed chooses it for you.
Filmmaker
Arsh Aggarwal and Team Film is the filmmaker behind this entry. See every Focus on Ability entry from Arsh Aggarwal and Team Film.
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this film is pretty cool pretty relatable but some of the acting could be better
amazing