In Development

Speak Easy

New York City and Los Angeles, 1968. A young mother desperate to reach her Deaf son must choose between the world that's failing him and an uncertain path that might not.

Speak Easy is a historical drama short film inspired by a true story my father told throughout my childhood. When he was young and couldn't yet sign or communicate, he wanted to tell his mother he'd seen a fire truck. The only way he could think to show her was to turn on the stovetop burner. She couldn't understand why.

He always told it like it was funny. One day I realized how heart wrenching it was that he had to go to that length just to say the simplest thing. That realization became this film.

Speak Easy follows mother MARION and her son DAVID in 1968 New York when they finally break from her husband's resistance and moves Los Angeles to enroll David into a sign language program. What follows is a story not about what David lacks, but about what becomes possible when someone fights for his right to be heard.

Currently seeking financing partners and mission-aligned organizations.
For partnership inquiries, fill out the form on the Contact page.