Despite the controversy to undergo an experimental medical procedure that is supposed to ‘cure’ her of her deafness, Gwen risks her friends, culture, and identity to discover the answer to the question.

What is normal? Whether we’re talking about people with physical differences or people of different faiths or cultures, we all have a different definition of “normal.” Justin Giddings & Ryan Welsh, writers and directors and both actors, create an irreproachable story that is lived through fundamental experiences.

After videos of d/Deaf individuals turning on their cochlear implants began to go viral, they were drawn to the idea of technology being able to completely redefine humanity’s experience of the physical world. During their research, they discovered a pandora’s box of controversy among the Deaf community concerning this technology and realized that, despite being outsiders, this was a story that could resonate with all sorts of audiences.

‘This Is Normal’ is an incredible soundscape experience that phases you in and out of what it is like to be deaf. A film with a lack of audio is often frowned upon or quickly edged out, but when the lack of audio is part of the plan and masterfully engineered, the result can be quite stupendous.

In terms of production, the best way we knew how to immerse our audience was to create “soundscapes.” We learned that there are many types of deafness and that most Deaf individuals are on a spectrum of what they can “hear.” We implemented these sound design elements into the film and now the film is being used by USC film school as a modern example of the marriage of sound design and character.

Paced with beautiful imagery the gripping story is played marvellously by a group of talented actors with impressive resumes, starring Ryann Turner (Weeds, Up All Night, Outpost) and Russell Harvard (There Will Be Blood, Fargo).

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Their next film currently in post-production: Outpost