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Duties of My Heart

Deaf ASL poet Terrylene and dancers illuminate Barbara Barg's poem of resilience.

Originally shot on 16mm and remastered in 2024 with additional elements, Duties of My Heart breathes life into Barbara Barg’s poem through the expressive and evocative movement of American Sign Language and dance. It creates a visual and auditory poetic experience and weaves a tapestry of sorrow, resilience and revival.

  • judy lieff
    Director
    Deaf Jam - Feature Documentary
  • Barbara Barg
    Writer
    Obey the Chemicals
  • judy lieff
    Producer
  • Terrylene Sacchetti
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Experimental
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 1, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    8,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    16 mm
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - judy lieff

judy lieff is a filmmaker and educator teaching at Montclair State University and SUNY Purchase. Deaf Jam, her first feature documentary, premiered on the PBS series, Independent Lens, and was selected to participate in the American Film Showcase (AFS) - a partnership between the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and USC's School of Cinematic Arts. Most recently, Judy completed an MA degree in Immersive Media at NYU (New York University).

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Director Statement

Duties of My Heart is an experimental short film that emerged from my studies at CalArts and a serendipitous introduction to the world of sign language. Originally conceived as the final scene for a longer work, this film evolved into a standalone piece that explores the intersection of poetry, sign language, and dance. The film was initially released in 1997 and remastered in 2024.

The project's genesis came from a life-changing visit to TRIPOD, a preschool for deaf children, which inspired me to expand sign language into dance choreography. Working with an interpreter, I began translating the poem into sign Language, not realizing I was approaching the process backwards.

It wasn't until I met Terrylene Sacchetti, a remarkable Deaf artist, poet, and educator featured in the film, that I understood the true nature of American Sign Language (ASL) and ASL poetry. Terrylene opened my eyes to ASL as a three-dimensional language, distinct from signed English. In ASL poetry, rhymes are measured in hand shapes, meter in movements, and verses transcend spoken word entirely.

The film presents three parallel poems:

The original written text

The ASL translation

A choreographic fusion of sign and dance

The dance sequences were filmed at the historic Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, a location rich with cultural significance as the site where Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. At the same time, I was also working with experimental filmmaker Pat O'Neill on his landmark film "The Decay of Fiction." Pat taught me to see empty spaces, light, and architecture as characters, which significantly influenced my approach to filming Duties of My Heart.

The loose narrative pays homage to Maya Deren and early experimental filmmakers of the 1940s. It follows a protagonist imagining the poem through movement rather than written words.

The poem itself is by Barbara Barg, a prominent figure in New York City's downtown poetry and music scene from the 1970s to the 1990s. Barg co-founded the all-women cult band "Homer Erotic" and was on faculty at the Chicago School of Poetics.

Duties of My Heart represents a pivotal moment in my filmmaking journey, bridging my experimental film background with my growing fascination with deaf culture and ASL. This exploration laid the groundwork for my later work, including Deaf Jam, and continues to influence my approach to visual storytelling and language.