Just when you think you’ve seen it all, something unique comes your way, and only independent film could make that happen. Gregory Bayne’s Making Sense puts the spotlight on a fantastic cast with disabilities and tells a story about disabilities that could only be told as science fiction.
Jules (Jessi Melton) is a graduate student working on a pair of sleeves that translates the spoken word into vibrations. This tech would allow hearing-impaired individuals to feel what someone is saying to them. Her presentation to investors went off with less than spectacular results. But her work and passion catch the attention of disgraced neuroscientist Dr. Frederik Amberger (Richard Klautsch). Jules agrees to meet with Amberger, and the two discuss his theory of “sensory enlightenment.”
“If the process of neuroplasticity can be tapped into, then, in theory, one could unlock the sixth sense.”
The idea is that when one loses one of their five primary senses, the brain begins to “re-wire” itself to compensate for the missing or diminished senses. This principle is called neuroplasticity. If the process of neuroplasticity can be tapped into, then, in theory, one could unlock the sixth sense.
First on the agenda to break the neuroplasticity code is to find a team of individuals with missing senses. Fortunately, her research partners, Max (Miguel Ayala) and Sam (Makenzie Ellsworth), are missing the sense of taste and touch, respectively. Jules’ sister, Dana (Taylor Gonzalez), lost her hearing in a car accident while Jules was driving drunk. When Amberger’s son, Noah (Justin Ness), wants to commit his father to a senior facility, we meet Stevie (Nyk Fry), who can’t smell. Then we have Amberger’s former partner, Toby (Mike Barnett), a computer genius who happens to be blind.
"…proves you can find good actors with disabilities..."
