Trailblazing deaf actor opens up in new documentary
UTAH

Marlee Matlin gave an unflinchingly honest account of her experiences as a deaf actor in the funny and revelatory documentary “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore.” The film kicked off the 41st Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 23, as the first major premiere in the Eccles Theater in Park City, Utah.
After the screening audiences in the theater, some wiping tears away, greeted Matlin with a standing ovation when she took the stage.
The film delves into all aspects of her life, personal and professional: Her childhood and how her family handled learning she had become deaf at 18 months; her experience winning the best actress Oscar for her first movie role in “Children of a Lesser God” and her allegedly abusive romantic relationship with her co-star, the late William Hurt , which he denied; and her experiences in an industry not equipped to accommodate deaf actors.
The film was directed by Shoshanna Stern, who also is deaf. Matlin specifically requested that Stern take on the project when American Masters approached her about doing a documentary.
The documentary isn’t just a portrait of Matlin, but a broader look at deaf culture and how Matlin was thrust into the spotlight at a young age as a de facto spokesperson for all deaf causes.
In addition to being the first deaf actor to win an Academy Award.
Matlin faced backlash when she spoke while presenting the best actor Oscar the year after she won, an experience that she said made her distance herself from deaf causes.
It features moving interviews from her longtime translator and other important figures in her life.
The film is closed captioned and includes verbal translations for hearing audiences. In a unique approach, the subjects were interviewed by Stern with an earpiece, allowing them to hear translations from another room.