Deaf to Happiness
"When nothing makes sense, I feel the pain in my hand, writing something I can’t see."
A writer is trapped in a world where time is broken, memories do not exist, and nothing feels real. His hand moves against his will, endlessly writing something unseen while his mind fights for meaning. Desperate, he begins writing a story—one that must not end in tragedy.
From this act of will, the Second Writer is born—a fragile fragment of himself, sent into a surreal world of rejection, loneliness, and longing. With only a flickering candle to guide him, he follows a mysterious pamphlet to a celestial temple, where an ancient Tree with golden, shimmering leaves offers him a challenge: write five true sources of happiness.
Success promises Nirvana—acceptance and eternity in the beauty of the past. Failure brings torment.
But happiness cannot be imagined—it must be felt. The Second Writer struggles, and his hollow answers bring only suffering. His fragile mind unravels as his candle—a symbol of time—burns lower. Sensing his despair, the Tree grants him a device that reveals a single fleeting moment of joy: a memory of laughter shared among people.
When he writes this first truth, the world shifts—faceless figures vanish, rejection fades, and beauty blooms. For the first time, the story feels real. Yet, as the world changes, his candle burns out. The flame is gone, and he is alone, in a fleeting paradise.
Deaf to Happiness is a visionary meditation on memory, loneliness, and the fragile pursuit of meaning, crafted entirely by one filmmaker. Through surreal visuals, evocative metaphors, and a deeply personal narrative, it asks: What is your true source of happiness—and what would you sacrifice to find it?
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Dhruv VyasDirector
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Dhruv VyasWriter
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Dhruv VyasProducer
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Dhruv VyasKey Cast"The Writer"
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Dhruv VyasKey Cast"The Second Writer"
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Dhruv VyasComposer
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Dhruv VyasEditor
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Dhruv VyasCinematographer
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Project Type:Experimental, Feature
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Genres:Experimental, Surreal/Arthouse, Philosophical, Psychological, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Introspective, Metaphysical
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Runtime:1 hour 10 minutes 14 seconds
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Completion Date:January 23, 2025
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Production Budget:9,500 USD
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Country of Origin:India
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Country of Filming:India
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital, CGI, Hybrid Live-Action
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Aspect Ratio:2.35:1
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Film Color:Black & White and Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
Dhruv Vyas is a self-taught filmmaker from India. With a background in conceptual photography, he has always been drawn to visual storytelling as a way to express abstract emotions. Though he studied engineering in college, Dhruv spent most of his time self-learning through YouTube, teaching himself cinematography, CGI, and music composition.
Before making his debut feature, Deaf to Happiness, Dhruv spent two years as a solo backpacker across India. This journey deepened his understanding of isolation, self-discovery, and human emotions—key themes in his work.
Inspired by artists like David Lynch, Brit Marling, and Sam Lake, Dhruv creates puzzle-like films where metaphors hold deeper meanings and each viewing offers new layers of understanding.
At a time when AI is reshaping creative industries, Dhruv remains committed to pure, handcrafted cinema. Deaf to Happiness was made entirely without AI—a testament to the power of human artistry.
With his debut, Dhruv seeks to carve out his own genre of metaphysical storytelling and is already researching his next film, an expansion of the themes introduced in Deaf to Happiness.
His goal is to create a world whose ethics are controlled by the audience. An idea no one has ever thought of. An extremely interconnected universe of multiple worlds where the audience chooses what is right or wrong. And depending on their beliefs can choose which worlds to be a part of but unable to escape the choices taken by others. A choose-your-own-adventure in the world of films, where the audience decides the ethics the world is built/evolved upon.
"I have always felt disconnected from the world, as if I were observing life rather than living it. Deaf to Happiness may have stemmed from that—a search for meaning in the loneliness that has followed me for as long as I can remember."
We all have a void inside us. At some point, we try to fill it—with memories, relationships, or achievements. But the more we try, the deeper the void seems to grow. This film explores that feeling, of what happens when we stop running from this void and begin to confront it.
Every step of making this film mirrored its themes. I had no formal training, no collaborators, no industry connections—just a desire to create something meaningful. Learning every skill from scratch—writing, directing, composing, and even CGI—was an act of perseverance that often felt lonely and overwhelming. But that solitude became poetic. Deaf to Happiness is about loneliness, and it was made in loneliness.
At a time when AI is automating creativity, I chose a different path. No AI tools were used—not for writing, visuals, or sound. Every aspect of this film is handcrafted, reflecting the imperfections and humanity of its creator.
Through its surreal visuals and haunting score, this film explores how loneliness and emptiness can be spaces of transformation. Transformation, that can be immensely destructive or creative, based on the individual. For me, therapy, alongside the creative process, taught me to face my own void and find meaning within it.
Ultimately, I hope this film resonates with anyone who has ever felt lost or empty, void of meaning. Maybe the void exists, not to be filled but so it can bring about a transformation, rebirth or rediscovery.