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Feeling Through

Name: Feeling Through
Director: Doug Roland
Released: 2019
Duration: 19 min

Representation Score

8.9/10

Excellent

2019

Director

Doug Roland

Runtime

19 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Feeling Through is a character-driven drama that succeeds by intersecting disability, race, and queer identity. It moves beyond surface-level inclusion to deconstruct traditional social and sensory hierarchies. By centering a DeafBlind protagonist, the film disrupts normative sensory experiences and replaces them with a tactile, empathetic mode of communication. The film's strength lies in its refusal to treat disability as a mere plot device. Instead, it provides ability to act to underrepresented individuals, allowing their unique perspectives to drive the narrative structure. This intentionality fosters a deep sense of empathy through the exploration of subjective truth. While the film excels in disability and queer representation, it faces more tension in its exploration of gender and cultural norms. However, even these areas serve to critique traditional social structures rather than reinforce them.

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Category Breakdown

Does Feeling Through have LGBTQ+ representation?

Good

The film uses a framework of self-discovery to challenge the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender. Queer identity serves as a central driver for the protagonist's internal journey and social conflicts.

How does Feeling Through portray gender?

Good

The narrative subverts traditional masculine expectations by focusing on a young man's vulnerability. It prioritizes emotional intelligence over stoic, traditional formulas.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Feeling Through?

Good

Featuring a predominantly Black cast, the film intersects racial identity with themes of social exclusion. Characters of color are given significant roles in driving the story.

How does Feeling Through represent religion and culture?

Good

The story explores the friction between individual autonomy and conservative communal or religious norms. It frames traditional institutional pressures as obstacles to authentic self-actualization.

Does Feeling Through include disability representation?

Excellent

Centering a DeafBlind character provides a significant role in driving the story to a protagonist with significant sensory disabilities. The film explores unique ways of perceiving the world without relying on pity.

Present on Screen

Exceptional ability to act granted to the DeafBlind protagonist.
Nuanced intersection of race, disability, and queer identity.
Subversion of traditional, stoic masculine clichés through emotional depth.

Limited or Absent

The exploration of gender representation remains less robust than the disability focus.
Cultural representation focuses heavily on friction with conservative norms.

Official Synopsis

A late-night encounter on a New York City street leads to a profound connection between a teen-in-need and a DeafBlind man.

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