His Hands, His At

In this captivating documentary, we join Ralph 'Ralf' Newberry on a visually diverse journey that combines live footage and animated sequences. Beyond the intersection of his Black and Deaf identity lies a life rich with experiences and hardships unlike most. Without the support of his community and his family, Ralph was left with anger in his heart. Armed with his pen and an open heart, Ralph generously invites us into his creative realm, sharing his unique worldview, reflections on the past, the present, and his hopes for the future.

  • Ebony R. Gooden
    Director
  • Mia Rivera
    Writer
  • Ebony R. Gooden
    Producer
  • Ralph Newberry
    Key Cast
  • Omatta Udalor
    Director Dramaturg
  • Ebony R. Gooden
    Animator
  • Natasha Bacchus
    Deaf Cultural Consultant & Interveiwer
  • Syed Muhammad Danish
    Color Correction
  • Calgary Arts Development
    Sponsored
  • Woezo Africa Blak Arts Development
    Sponsored
  • Humainologie
    Sponsored
  • QuickDraw Animation Society
    Sponsored
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Documentary, Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    History, Narrative
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 1 second
  • Completion Date:
    September 28, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    8,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    American Sign Language
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Unify Deaf Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    October 13, 2023
    Unify Deaf Film Festival
    Selection
Director Biography - Ebony R. Gooden

Ebony R. Gooden is the only Black Deaf artist living in Calgary, Canada. She is an emerging artist, filmmaker and activist. She believes it is important to create a safe space for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) Deaf artists in Calgary. She works as the Marketing Coordinator for Inside Out Theatre and is a consultant for EDIA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity and Accessibility) under the Calgary Arts Development (CADA). Her unique voice has intersectionality layers, which allows her to show hearing people what it is like to be Black and Deaf. To achieve that goal, she has participated in the CSIF and Storyhive program, Community Stories, to create a short documentary, “Miscommunication in her Language”. She is also being supported by AFA and CCA in her creation of a short animation.

She is also a co-founder of SURVIVANCE Collective, Black Deaf Residency, and a partner of the Unify Deaf Film Festival. Ebony is a board member of the QuickDraw Animation Society and a consultant for Calgary Arts Development.

Not only that but as a director, she has worked in various theatre productions such as After Faust, The Two Natasha and Survivance Monologue. She also acted in theatre productions such as Caustic Effect, Oh! Clare Dance and 100 Years of Darkness. For the film industry, she produced and directed, “His Hands, His Art” and “The Two Natashas”.

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Director Statement

"I am creating a documentary that I wish I saw as a little Black Deaf girl because I grew up with no role model nor did I had access to Black Deaf history."