Joshua Sealy and Davo Hardy in A Silent Agreement.

by Matthew Eeles

Writer, director and producer Davo Hardy has released a very special Auslan Q&A for his new film A Silent Agreement.

The Q&A features Hardy and actors Joshua Sealy and Jennifer Maclaughlan who play brother and sister Derek and Courtney Shanahan in the film. The three delve deep into the making of A Silent Agreement and discuss casting deaf actors as well as Hardy’s inspirations for making the film.

“I set up this interview to allow an inside view of the making of A Silent Agreement,” Hardy told Cinema Australia.

“I wanted a strong focus on the language and cultural elements therein. All the questions and answers are communicated through Auslan and captioned, with all the sound muted, to keep the focus entirely on the screen,” Hardy continued.

The interview is conducted by Sonya Fehler, a friend of Hardy’s who is an Academic English Teacher who currents works and Macquarie University.

“The tone of what’s being said is entirely in the facial expressions of those signing and the captions were made to match as closely as possible to the informal style of the interview,” Hardy said.

In A Silent Agreement Hardy plays Reuben, a sensitive writer, who grapples with a speech impediment as his boyfriend, Derek, a profoundly deaf Human Rights activist, provides strategies to restore his confidence and communication skills.

When Reuben approaches an over-the-hill film producer with his autobiographical screenplay, the producer betrays him and Reuben is forced to overcome the long-term effects of bullying.

A Silent Agreement will have a limited theatrical release in October with further news yet to be announced. You can find out more about the film here.