SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2025 REVIEW! I’m triggered! In Jessica Perlman’s short film Talk, a deaf man is trying to find out why his newly installed air conditioning unit is not working. He enlists a translator to explain the situation to frustrating results.
Talk runs a swift 2 minutes long and is the story of a young woman who is the child of deaf adults (CODA). It shows the frustration of trying to explain the complications of air-conditioning repair for the child while experiencing the genuine frustration of the deaf adult father, who feels removed from a meaningful conversation.
“…a deaf man is trying to find out why his newly installed air conditioning unit is not working”
As someone who has experienced the frustrations of translating for a Chinese-speaking family, I know that the fun comes in stating the obvious while the other person has no clue you’re insulting them. Then, don’t get me started about the upselling that appliance repairmen and auto mechanics add to a seemingly simple request.
Talk captures the translating craziness well. The acting is good, and the ending works.
Talk screened at the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival.
"…the acting is good..."
