Portrayal of Deaf characters in Korean movies.
Andrew Chang, Debbie Golos
PMID 39838536WHAT IT FOUND
Six Korean movies with Deaf main characters overwhelmingly portrayed deafness as a medical problem to be fixed or a source of isolation, rather than a cultural identity.
Deaf people were rarely involved in making these films, and hearing characters were often shown as the saviors.
Key findings
01Across the six films analyzed, medical perspectives on deafness were referenced far more frequently than cultural perspectives.
02None of the six movies had strong involvement from Deaf people in the development or production, and all main Deaf characters were played by hearing actors.
03Films that did have limited consultation with Deaf organizations contained more cultural messages than those with no involvement, though medical messages still persisted.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample was limited to only six movies, which may not represent the broader landscape of Korean cinema. The study could not assess the impact of 'strong' Deaf involvement because none of the selected films had it. The analysis focused on plot and dialogue, potentially missing nuances in production aspects like camera angles or lighting that might convey additional messages. Findings are specific to the Korean cultural context and may not generalize to other countries.
Declared interests
The lead author is a native Korean speaker and fluent in Korean Sign Language (KSL) with experience in the Korean Deaf community. The co-author is not Korean and not fluent in KSL. No financial conflicts of interest were reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the higher number of cultural messages in films with 'limited' Deaf involvement as evidence that consultation alone is sufficient to eliminate negative stereotypes. These films still contained more medical than cultural references, and the study did not include any films with 'strong' Deaf involvement (Deaf creators or actors) to compare against.