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San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Marlee Matlin tells her story in an intimate and groundbreaking documentary
When American Masters approached Marlee Matlin about doing a documentary, Matlin had one name in mind to direct: Shoshanna Stern. Like Matlin, Stern is deaf. She also hadn't directed before. But Matlin, who herself became the first deaf person in the Directors Guild of America just a few years ago, was certain she was up to the task. The resulting film, 'Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore' is an intimate look at her life: Growing up in a hearing family; winning the best actress Oscar at 21 for her first movie role in 'Children of a Lesser God,' which film critic Rex Reed at the time called a 'pity vote'; what she's described as an abusive romantic relationship with her co-star, the late William Hurt, which he denied; getting sober; and her experiences in an industry not equipped to accommodate deaf actors. It's also an evocative portal into the world of the deaf community that uses groundbreaking techniques and sound design to put American Sign Language (ASL) and visual communication first. The film opens in select theaters Friday. While Matlin told much of her story in the memoir 'I'll Scream Later,' on some level it wasn't a completely satisfactory experience. Before the #MeToo movement, its revelations were not treated entirely seriously in the media. But a documentary also provided an opportunity. 'We communicate visually,' she said. Matlin and Stern spoke though translators to The Associated Press about the 'CODA' effect, making the doc on their terms, and why they hope Reed sees this film. Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity. AP: Shoshanna, what was your approach? STERN: I had never seen a deaf person direct an episode of TV or film. Never. I thought, what does that even look like? I didn't realize until I took the job that really the whole form of documentary as we know it is really rooted in sound, in the assumption that people will be speaking and they can speak. I thought, what are we going to do when we're using American Sign Language? I have to reframe a whole form of documentary. We have to be able to see what a visually-based documentary is going to look like. We wouldn't do justice to Marlee's life if I had forced this form that really wasn't rooted in the way that she experienced this life. And that was exciting to do. Scary for some people out there, but I never felt scared in making this documentary because she believed in me. MATLIN: If I had had a hearing director approach me to do this project, we could have done a very good job, but that person would not have seen me in the same way. They would not have the same lens as a deaf person. AP: What were some techniques you used to spotlight the deaf experience? STERN: I did want to film with captions in mind, so I made sure that we did have a wider frame. We figured out visual voiceover with a split screen that we added. We did this little surgery with words and syllables in one of the scenes where we mixed them all around to be able to bring people into how Marlee experiences conversations and the world. We wanted to make this documentary an immersive experience for the audience members, a sensory experience to help them understand. AP: 'CODA' felt like a big moment, but in the years since it won the Oscar, have you seen things change? MATLIN: 'CODA' certainly was a milestone and respected by so many people in the industry. It tackled a lot of things that both deaf and hearing people or audiences can identify with. I love the fact that they burnt in the captions. That you can't just turn it off. And I hoped that all the love we received and the three Academy Awards that we got would make a difference. It was honored on so many other levels too as well, whether we're talking about (director) Sian (Heder) or you're talking about Troy (Kotsur) or the SAG award which was just a dream come true, specifically of mine. I took that opportunity to specifically address that that we 'exist,' that we want to be actors just like you, we want to be directors, we want be producers, we want to be hair and wardrobe stylists. We want to work in all levels of production. So 'CODA' really elevated that conversation about how much we wanted to be part of the industry. But for some reason it didn't really break open the door as wide as I would have thought. Yet we just don't give up. We are persistent. Because it is what it is. We are working on our own levels to make changes. STERN: Marlee said something really brave when we were at Sundance. She said, 'It won't last.' The moment, yes, in the moment. But I don't know if we have movement. MATLIN: There's so many stories that we can tell, so many stories that you can put up on screen, so many stories that we can put on stage. I'd like to see action because I've been hearing that, 'Yes, we have to do this' or 'I will do this,' but it's been 40 years. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. I just want to make sure that we put our money where our mouth is. I go back to that comment about Rex Reed. I wonder if he would ever see this film. I'd love to see if he has the balls to make a comment and say, "Oh look, I realize I might have said something wrong." That's just one example of the things I'd like to see happen. And maybe the people who interviewed me over the years. I don't want you to misunderstand me, I have a great deal of respect for them. But specifically, I am calling out Rex Reed. So, you know, sorry but not sorry.
a day ago
- Entertainment
Marlee Matlin tells her story in an intimate and groundbreaking documentary
When American Masters approached Marlee Matlin about doing a documentary, Matlin had one name in mind to direct: Shoshanna Stern. Like Matlin, Stern is deaf. She also hadn't directed before. But Matlin, who herself became the first deaf person in the Directors Guild of America just a few years ago, was certain she was up to the task. The resulting film, 'Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore' is an intimate look at her life: Growing up in a hearing family; winning the best actress Oscar at 21 for her first movie role in 'Children of a Lesser God,' which film critic Rex Reed at the time called a 'pity vote'; what she's described as an abusive romantic relationship with her co-star, the late William Hurt, which he denied; getting sober; and her experiences in an industry not equipped to accommodate deaf actors. It's also an evocative portal into the world of the deaf community that uses groundbreaking techniques and sound design to put American Sign Language (ASL) and visual communication first. The film opens in select theaters Friday. While Matlin told much of her story in the memoir 'I'll Scream Later,' on some level it wasn't a completely satisfactory experience. Before the #MeToo movement, its revelations were not treated entirely seriously in the media. But a documentary also provided an opportunity. 'We communicate visually,' she said. Matlin and Stern spoke though translators to The Associated Press about the 'CODA' effect, making the doc on their terms, and why they hope Reed sees this film. Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity. STERN: I had never seen a deaf person direct an episode of TV or film. Never. I thought, what does that even look like? I didn't realize until I took the job that really the whole form of documentary as we know it is really rooted in sound, in the assumption that people will be speaking and they can speak. I thought, what are we going to do when we're using American Sign Language? I have to reframe a whole form of documentary. We have to be able to see what a visually-based documentary is going to look like. We wouldn't do justice to Marlee's life if I had forced this form that really wasn't rooted in the way that she experienced this life. And that was exciting to do. Scary for some people out there, but I never felt scared in making this documentary because she believed in me. MATLIN: If I had had a hearing director approach me to do this project, we could have done a very good job, but that person would not have seen me in the same way. They would not have the same lens as a deaf person. STERN: I did want to film with captions in mind, so I made sure that we did have a wider frame. We figured out visual voiceover with a split screen that we added. We did this little surgery with words and syllables in one of the scenes where we mixed them all around to be able to bring people into how Marlee experiences conversations and the world. We wanted to make this documentary an immersive experience for the audience members, a sensory experience to help them understand. MATLIN: 'CODA' certainly was a milestone and respected by so many people in the industry. It tackled a lot of things that both deaf and hearing people or audiences can identify with. I love the fact that they burnt in the captions. That you can't just turn it off. And I hoped that all the love we received and the three Academy Awards that we got would make a difference. It was honored on so many other levels too as well, whether we're talking about (director) Sian (Heder) or you're talking about Troy (Kotsur) or the SAG award which was just a dream come true, specifically of mine. I took that opportunity to specifically address that that we 'exist,' that we want to be actors just like you, we want to be directors, we want be producers, we want to be hair and wardrobe stylists. We want to work in all levels of production. So 'CODA' really elevated that conversation about how much we wanted to be part of the industry. But for some reason it didn't really break open the door as wide as I would have thought. Yet we just don't give up. We are persistent. Because it is what it is. We are working on our own levels to make changes. STERN: Marlee said something really brave when we were at Sundance. She said, 'It won't last.' The moment, yes, in the moment. But I don't know if we have movement. MATLIN: There's so many stories that we can tell, so many stories that you can put up on screen, so many stories that we can put on stage. I'd like to see action because I've been hearing that, 'Yes, we have to do this' or 'I will do this,' but it's been 40 years. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. I just want to make sure that we put our money where our mouth is. I go back to that comment about Rex Reed. I wonder if he would ever see this film. I'd love to see if he has the balls to make a comment and say, "Oh look, I realize I might have said something wrong." That's just one example of the things I'd like to see happen. And maybe the people who interviewed me over the years. I don't want you to misunderstand me, I have a great deal of respect for them. But specifically, I am calling out Rex Reed. So, you know, sorry but not sorry.
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Marlee Matlin tells her story in an intimate and groundbreaking documentary
When American Masters approached Marlee Matlin about doing a documentary, Matlin had one name in mind to direct: Shoshanna Stern. Like Matlin, Stern is deaf. She also hadn't directed before. But Matlin, who herself became the first deaf person in the Directors Guild of America just a few years ago, was certain she was up to the task. The resulting film, 'Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore' is an intimate look at her life: Growing up in a hearing family; winning the best actress Oscar at 21 for her first movie role in 'Children of a Lesser God,' which film critic Rex Reed at the time called a 'pity vote'; what she's described as an abusive romantic relationship with her co-star, the late William Hurt, which he denied; getting sober; and her experiences in an industry not equipped to accommodate deaf actors. It's also an evocative portal into the world of the deaf community that uses groundbreaking techniques and sound design to put American Sign Language (ASL) and visual communication first. The film opens in select theaters Friday. While Matlin told much of her story in the memoir 'I'll Scream Later,' on some level it wasn't a completely satisfactory experience. Before the #MeToo movement, its revelations were not treated entirely seriously in the media. But a documentary also provided an opportunity. 'We communicate visually,' she said. Matlin and Stern spoke though translators to The Associated Press about the 'CODA' effect, making the doc on their terms, and why they hope Reed sees this film. Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity. AP: Shoshanna, what was your approach? STERN: I had never seen a deaf person direct an episode of TV or film. Never. I thought, what does that even look like? I didn't realize until I took the job that really the whole form of documentary as we know it is really rooted in sound, in the assumption that people will be speaking and they can speak. I thought, what are we going to do when we're using American Sign Language? I have to reframe a whole form of documentary. We have to be able to see what a visually-based documentary is going to look like. We wouldn't do justice to Marlee's life if I had forced this form that really wasn't rooted in the way that she experienced this life. And that was exciting to do. Scary for some people out there, but I never felt scared in making this documentary because she believed in me. MATLIN: If I had had a hearing director approach me to do this project, we could have done a very good job, but that person would not have seen me in the same way. They would not have the same lens as a deaf person. AP: What were some techniques you used to spotlight the deaf experience? STERN: I did want to film with captions in mind, so I made sure that we did have a wider frame. We figured out visual voiceover with a split screen that we added. We did this little surgery with words and syllables in one of the scenes where we mixed them all around to be able to bring people into how Marlee experiences conversations and the world. We wanted to make this documentary an immersive experience for the audience members, a sensory experience to help them understand. AP: 'CODA' felt like a big moment, but in the years since it won the Oscar, have you seen things change? MATLIN: 'CODA' certainly was a milestone and respected by so many people in the industry. It tackled a lot of things that both deaf and hearing people or audiences can identify with. I love the fact that they burnt in the captions. That you can't just turn it off. And I hoped that all the love we received and the three Academy Awards that we got would make a difference. It was honored on so many other levels too as well, whether we're talking about (director) Sian (Heder) or you're talking about Troy (Kotsur) or the SAG award which was just a dream come true, specifically of mine. I took that opportunity to specifically address that that we 'exist,' that we want to be actors just like you, we want to be directors, we want be producers, we want to be hair and wardrobe stylists. We want to work in all levels of production. So 'CODA' really elevated that conversation about how much we wanted to be part of the industry. But for some reason it didn't really break open the door as wide as I would have thought. Yet we just don't give up. We are persistent. Because it is what it is. We are working on our own levels to make changes. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. STERN: Marlee said something really brave when we were at Sundance. She said, 'It won't last.' The moment, yes, in the moment. But I don't know if we have movement. MATLIN: There's so many stories that we can tell, so many stories that you can put up on screen, so many stories that we can put on stage. I'd like to see action because I've been hearing that, 'Yes, we have to do this' or 'I will do this,' but it's been 40 years. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. I just want to make sure that we put our money where our mouth is. I go back to that comment about Rex Reed. I wonder if he would ever see this film. I'd love to see if he has the balls to make a comment and say, 'Oh look, I realize I might have said something wrong.' That's just one example of the things I'd like to see happen. And maybe the people who interviewed me over the years. I don't want you to misunderstand me, I have a great deal of respect for them. But specifically, I am calling out Rex Reed. So, you know, sorry but not sorry.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Henry Winkler took in Marlee Matlin after she left her tumultuous relationship with William Hurt
Marlee Matlin needed somewhere to go after she got out of rehab and ended her turbulent relationship with William Hurt. Happy Days star Henry Winkler, who first met Matlin when she was a teenager, opened his home up to her. Matlin ended up becoming a part of the Winkler family and considering their house her home away from Matlin ended up having plenty of happy day thanks to Henry Winkler. The Oscar-winning actress, who at 21 became the first deaf performer to win an Academy Award, tells her story in the new documentary Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore. And part of that story is the key role Winkler has played in her life as an inspiration and a friend. The two first met when Winkler was touring the country as a member of the Happy Days cast and Matlin was just a teenager with big dreams. They kept in touch, and Winkler was Matlin's soft place to land during a difficult time in her life. Matlin had a tumultuous two-year romantic relationship in the 1980s with her Children of a Lesser God costar William Hurt, recalling in her 2009 memoir that he was often abusive toward her. However, Hurt did encourage her to go to rehab for her alcohol and drug addiction, and it was there that she realized the unhealthy nature of their situation. "There were a lot of things I learned in rehab," Matlin says in the documentary, "that pointed to things not being right. The physical abuse and verbal abuse, the mental and emotional abuse was not right. I learned that there." Matlin says the experience made her and Hurt realize their relationship was never going to be the same after rehab. "I decided I had it," she says. "I walked out of that house and I never went back." Instead, she went to Winkler in search of help after he invited her to come to his home in California and talk. Winkler remembers that moment clearly. "Knock on the door. Marlee," he recalls in the doc. "'I have no place to stay. I just broke up with my boyfriend. Can I stay with you just for the weekend?'" Naturally, the actor said it was no problem. Then, "two years later, she finally moved out," he deadpans, before breaking out into a wide grin. "That family took me in as if I were one of their own," Matlin adds. "I''ll never forget that." Winkler also notes, "She was not completely whole at that time, so I told her, 'If you know what you want without ambivalence, if you're clear about what you want, everything else will fall into place.'" His words rang true, and Matlin found her footing in Los Angeles, as she booked the TV show Reasonable Doubts and met her husband, police officer Kevin Grandalski. The two married Aug. 29, 1993, in the backyard of Winkler's home. Home video footage of the ceremony is also included in the film. "There was no other thing to do," Winkler says in the doc. "There was no other place for her to get married except in our yard, in her home away from home." Winkler and Matlin remain close to this day. While doing press for the film at its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, Matlin told PEOPLE that she considers Winkler her "fairy godfather." Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore hits theaters Friday. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Andor' star Diego Luna jokes about Trump's tariffs at the Academy's 2025 Scientific and Technical Awards
The 2025 Scientific and Technical Awards were held Tuesday night at the Academy's David Geffen Theater in Los Angeles. These sci-tech kudos honored 14 artistic achievements in film, represented by 37 individuals. Andor and La Maquina star Diego Luna hosted the ceremony, and he got political at the start of the show when he joked about President Donald Trump's controversial tariffs. "First, I need to apologize," Luna told the crowd, which included Oscar winner Marlee Matlin (Children of a Lesser God), Academy CEO Bill Kramer, and Academy President Janet Yang. "I know my fee is higher than normal this year. I'm very expensive, I know. It's not my fault. Everything coming in from Mexico is more expensive because of the new tariffs. But anyway, my kids and I thank you very much," Luna said at the audience laughed. More from GoldDerby 'Buena Vista Social Club,' 'Death Becomes Her,' 'Maybe Happy Ending' lead 2025 Tony Awards nominations - see the full list 'Genius: MLK/X,' 'Out of My Mind,' and 4 other shows win at the 2025 Television Academy Honors Ruth Negga will submit in lead at the Emmys for 'Presumed Innocent' - see the show's entries in 19 categories In addition to the 14 Scientific and Technical Awards, an Academy Award of Merit was presented to collectively recognize everyone in the film industry who has developed and supported open or closed captioning technology. This special Oscar statuette for captioning wizards will remain at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in honor "is a means to raise awareness of captioning," Matlin told Gold Derby on the red carpet. "Everyone could benefit from using captions. It's been around for a long time, and people thought at the beginning it was only for deaf and hard of hearing people, but as we know now, more and more people are using captioning technology to watch films. I'm grateful that the Academy is recognizing that as part of the effort toward greater accessibility and equity in entertainment." Luna told us he was "very excited" to receive his Gotham TV nomination for La Maquina on Tuesday morning. He hoped that "more people get to watch" the Hulu miniseries now because of the extra awards attentions. As for Andor, Luna said the Star Wars drama directly reflects today's culture and politics. "Sadly, it is relevant today, but it was relevant 10 years ago. It might be relevant in 20, you know?" He added, "We don't seem to get it. And the show wasn't even trying to do that." The red carpet opened at 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday, as attendees enjoyed a champagne reception. The formal-attire ceremony began at 7 p.m. in the David Geffen Theater, followed by an honorees' celebration at 9 p.m. in the Sidney Poitier Grand Lobby. Here are this year's Academy Scientific and Technical Awards honorees: To Essex Edwards, James Jacobs, Jernej Barbic, Crawford Doran, and Andrew van Straten for the design and development of Ziva VFX. Ziva VFX is a system for constructing and simulating muscles, fat, fascia, and skin for digital characters. An artist-friendly interface that emphasizes easily understood physical metaphors, coupled with a robust, physically accurate solver, has enabled a broad range of studios to bring visually rich creatures to life. To Javor Kalojanov and Kimball Thurston for the creation of Wētā FX's ML Denoiser. This denoiser prioritizes temporal filtering using innovative optical flow techniques to preserve crucial details. Novel training strategies allow its machine learning algorithms to denoise computer-generated imagery to the most exacting standards. To Neeme Vaino for the development of Fireskin360 Naked Burn Gel. This widely available gel allows longer targeted burns directly on the skin, broadening the range of fire stunts performed across the industry. To Dustin Brooks and Colin Decker for the development of naked burn gel. Fire for Hire's gel first publicly demonstrated a 'naked burn,' where fire appears directly on the skin, enabling a new form of safe fire stunts in motion pictures. To Attila T. Áfra for the creation of Intel Open Image Denoise, and to Timo Aila for his pioneering work at NVIDIA applying U-Nets to denoising. Open Image Denoise is an open-source library that provides an elegant API and runs on diverse hardware, leading to broad industry adoption. Its core technology is provided by the widely adopted U-Net architecture that improves efficiency and preserves detail, raising the quality of CG imagery across the industry. To Mark Noel for adapting and enhancing the safety and reliability of transportable six-degrees-of-freedom motion base technology for motion picture use. The NACMO series of modular motion bases enables filmmakers to dynamically control simulated actions, providing precise movements, enhancing special effects, and enriching the visual experience for audiences worldwide. To Su Tie for the development of the sensor analysis and stabilization software, to Bei Shimen for the electrical engineering, and to Zhao Yanchong for the mechanical design and engineering of the Ronin 2 gimbal system. Utilizing three-axis stabilization through multiple sensors, the DJI Ronin 2 has achieved broad adoption. It is controllable from a diverse set of input devices, enabling filmmakers to create complex, dynamic camera moves. To Tabb Firchau for the conception and development, to John Ellison and Steve Webb for the attitude control system, to David Bloomfield for the motor design, and to Shane Colton for the motor driver system design of the Mōvi gimbals. Freefly Systems' introduction of handheld stabilized gimbals provides single-person or collaborative remote camera operation with various controllers, enabling previously difficult shots without dolly or crane-supported stabilized heads. To Jayson Dumenigo for the development of the Action Factory Hydrogels. Action Factory Hydrogels are engineered to allow longer burns at higher temperatures with quick turnaround times, increasing the safety and efficiency of fire stunt performances. To Thijs Vogels, Fabrice Rousselle, David Adler, Gerhard Röthlin, and Mark Meyer for the creation of Disney's ML Denoiser. This sophisticated machine learning denoiser features a ground-breaking kernel-predicting convolutional network and temporal stability. It has been adopted far beyond its original domain of animation and is an essential tool for creating computer-generated imagery in feature films. To Nir Averbuch, Yair Chuchem, and Dan Raviv for the concept, design and development of the Auto Align Post 2. Sound Radix's Auto Align Post 2 allows the seamless blending of multiple moving microphones during film post-production, eliminating phase distortion, saving significant time over manual alignment methods and raising the reproduction quality of dialogue recorded on set. To Curt Schaller for the concept, design and development of the Trinity 2 system, and to Roman Foltyn for the software and hardware design of its motorized stabilized head. The ARRI Trinity 2 is a body-worn system that combines a traditional inertial camera stabilization system with electronic gimbal technology, allowing unprecedented freedom of camera movement for acquiring shots with multiple transitions that are otherwise unobtainable. To Steve Wagner for the initial concept and software, to Garrett Brown for the design, and to Jerry Holway and Robert Orf for the engineering of the Steadicam Volt stabilization system. The Tiffen Steadicam Volt revolutionizes inertial stabilization with its advanced two-axis motorized design, creating artificial inertia and simulated friction while providing adjustable tactile feedback. Different modes allow the operator to alter the physical feel of the rig. The Volt empowers filmmakers to achieve dynamic shots with more complex camera movement while maintaining a stable roll axis. To Dave Freeth for the design, engineering and development of the hand-held Stabileye three-axis motorized camera stabilization system. The compact size and live adjustment of operating parameters of these devices facilitate subtle and dynamic camera moves closer to actors, and in tighter quarters than previously possible. Its low latency allows for instinctive operation whether controlled by a single operator or remotely. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby All 35 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies ranked, ahead of 'Thunderbolts' debut Wes Anderson movies: All 11 films ranked worst to best Penelope Cruz movies: 16 greatest films ranked worst to best Click here to read the full article.
