Barbie, Minecraft, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Godzilla vs. Kong, and now Superman. In addition to being global box office hits, all of these films have something in common: they were also produced in versions with ASL (American Sign Language) and are available on the MAX platform in the United States.
This opens up enormous possibilities for deaf people to fully enjoy the movies —with access to stories, emotions, and cultural experiences that were previously off-limits.
But what many people don’t know is that behind these productions there is a large team made up of both deaf and hearing people, working together to analyze signals, interpret contexts, and ensure the best possible experience. MAV, in partnership with Deluxe, is proud to make this a reality.
And there is one key detail: the interpreters who appear in these versions are always deaf people. This choice is not merely technical, but symbolic. It represents identification, a sense of belonging, and, above all, the creation of space for deaf people to work in the film industry.
In Brazil, we still have a long way to go—not only to bring more Deaf talent to the screen, but also to build a collective awareness that inclusion is fundamental to our civilizing process. We have laws and regulations, it’s true. But the challenge goes beyond that: we need education and sensitivity so that people without disabilities begin to view the Deaf community as an audience, as customers, and, above all, as full-fledged citizens.
At MAV, we believe that every step counts. And we continue to work to ensure that film and the audiovisual arts become increasingly pluralistic, diverse, and truly accessible.
