A deaf boy named Aron (Ben Kermer) goes to stay with his father (Thomas Jansen)) for a week. His father doesn't know sign language so the two of them find it very difficult to communicate or come to some kind of understanding. Georg is a musician and has a music room in his house. When Aron explores the room, the two of them discover that they share a love of music.
Ella Fitzgerald once said, "Music is the universal language... it brings people closer together." While I won't assume that Tremolo was based on this quote, I think the quote correlates really well with this film. Georg and Aron can't communicate because of their language barrier. Aron can't hear any spoken language and Georg doesn't know any sign language. But, believing that music is the universal language, Georg and Aron share a common language and I really love the way the film portrays their journey in understanding that.
The cinematography and camera work are very good -- all quality work and smart use of angles and focus. There is a small glitch around 15:34 so, if the film is accepted to the festival, a copy without that glitch would need to be provided. The setting at the dad's house is a house that looks like a typical middle class person's house. The music room looks like a music room might and suits the story. I really like that the film constantly switches between what a hearing person would hear to what a deaf person would hear. When Aron's parents are talking, we can hear them but Aron can't. When Aron bangs on drums or on pianos in the middle of the night, he hears muffled sounds while Aron's dad wakes up from all the loud discordant noise. It's as if Aron can hear what he's supposed to be hearing but he can't actually hear the sounds like a person with normal hearing can. He can hear a sound but it's muffled; he can't discern the finer points of the sounds. I absolutely love the scene where Aron's father realizes why Aron loves music so much. His face softens in a way that I immediately thought, "Wow, that's good acting." Of course it's not just the acting, the cinematography is very important in this scene. But I really am very impressed by Thomas Jansen. His performance is stunning. The screenplay is also very good and delivers a wonderful story. Aron loves music so much because music is that it's not just something you hear, music is something that makes you feel. It's something you CAN feel. You don't have to know what a song is about. The beat tells you that it's a slow song, or it's rock n' roll or jazz, that it's a sad song or a happy song. Even though Aron's deaf, he can feel the beat - he can feel the music through its vibrations. He can hear rock songs blaring through the speakers not through his ears but through the vibrations going up his body when he puts his hand to the speaker. Aron's father is a man with a deaf kid; he doesn't know sign language and is a musician. When Aron's father realizes that Aron likes music just like he does, it's an incredibly heartwarming scene. Originally, Aron's father thought that he would never get to share his passion with his son. But he can. True! Aron can't hear the music, but he can feel it. That's more important with music anyway. We all know there's a difference between listening to something and hearing something. I absolutely love this scene because it's the first time that Aron and his father truly bond. They do so over their shared love of music. They love it in different ways but it's something they have in common. It's an understanding. And that's beautiful to me.
I learned a lot about the deaf community from watching this film. I had never thought of an alarm clock that flashes lights instead of sounds. I never knew that deaf people can hear music. I remember playing Would You Rather with my friends and when we do that and someone says that they would rather be deaf than be blind, there's always someone that goes "yeah, but you would never be able to hear music again." This film made me rethink that; that deaf people can still feel the music, still feel beats, feel rhythms. This film opened my mind to a world I didn't know.
The film's message is to give insight into a world that hearing viewers are unaware of. The film makes us more aware of people with deafness and what they go through, what they feel or don't feel. This film spreads awareness, understanding, and insight into the world of people with hearing disabilities.
I give Tremolo 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. By Alma K., KIDS FIRST!
A deaf boy named Aron (Ben Kermer) goes to stay with his father (Thomas Jansen)) for a week. His father doesn't know sign language so the two of them find it very difficult to communicate or come to some kind of understanding. Georg is a musician and has a music room in his house. When Aron explores the room, the two of them discover that they share a love of music.
Ella Fitzgerald once said, "Music is the universal language... it brings people closer together." While I won't assume that Tremolo was based on this quote, I think the quote correlates really well with this film. Georg and Aron can't communicate because of their language barrier. Aron can't hear any spoken language and Georg doesn't know any sign language. But, believing that music is the universal language, Georg and Aron share a common language and I really love the way the film portrays their journey in understanding that.
The cinematography and camera work are very good -- all quality work and smart use of angles and focus. There is a small glitch around 15:34 so, if the film is accepted to the festival, a copy without that glitch would need to be provided. The setting at the dad's house is a house that looks like a typical middle class person's house. The music room looks like a music room might and suits the story. I really like that the film constantly switches between what a hearing person would hear to what a deaf person would hear. When Aron's parents are talking, we can hear them but Aron can't. When Aron bangs on drums or on pianos in the middle of the night, he hears muffled sounds while Aron's dad wakes up from all the loud discordant noise. It's as if Aron can hear what he's supposed to be hearing but he can't actually hear the sounds like a person with normal hearing can. He can hear a sound but it's muffled; he can't discern the finer points of the sounds. I absolutely love the scene where Aron's father realizes why Aron loves music so much. His face softens in a way that I immediately thought, "Wow, that's good acting." Of course it's not just the acting, the cinematography is very important in this scene. But I really am very impressed by Thomas Jansen. His performance is stunning. The screenplay is also very good and delivers a wonderful story. Aron loves music so much because music is that it's not just something you hear, music is something that makes you feel. It's something you CAN feel. You don't have to know what a song is about. The beat tells you that it's a slow song, or it's rock n' roll or jazz, that it's a sad song or a happy song. Even though Aron's deaf, he can feel the beat - he can feel the music through its vibrations. He can hear rock songs blaring through the speakers not through his ears but through the vibrations going up his body when he puts his hand to the speaker. Aron's father is a man with a deaf kid; he doesn't know sign language and is a musician. When Aron's father realizes that Aron likes music just like he does, it's an incredibly heartwarming scene. Originally, Aron's father thought that he would never get to share his passion with his son. But he can. True! Aron can't hear the music, but he can feel it. That's more important with music anyway. We all know there's a difference between listening to something and hearing something. I absolutely love this scene because it's the first time that Aron and his father truly bond. They do so over their shared love of music. They love it in different ways but it's something they have in common. It's an understanding. And that's beautiful to me.
I learned a lot about the deaf community from watching this film. I had never thought of an alarm clock that flashes lights instead of sounds. I never knew that deaf people can hear music. I remember playing Would You Rather with my friends and when we do that and someone says that they would rather be deaf than be blind, there's always someone that goes "yeah, but you would never be able to hear music again." This film made me rethink that; that deaf people can still feel the music, still feel beats, feel rhythms. This film opened my mind to a world I didn't know.
The film's message is to give insight into a world that hearing viewers are unaware of. The film makes us more aware of people with deafness and what they go through, what they feel or don't feel. This film spreads awareness, understanding, and insight into the world of people with hearing disabilities.
I give Tremolo 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. By Alma K., KIDS FIRST!
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