‘The Boy From Before’, a drama that revolves around the ghost of a boy killed in the Second World War has deaf teenagers playing the lead roles. Filmmakers were assisted in writing the script by secondary school students from Balham who are also part of the four-part series. The story touches on friendship and bullying in school and is pictured such that it can be watched by deaf as well as hearing viewers.
The series is financed by the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust that was established in 2008 with the aim of increasing the number of sign-presented programmes in TV. The innocent exuberance of Oak Lodge, a 14 year old who plays Sam in the series is evident. He expressed his excitement about the screening and that he wanted to be the first deaf man to win an Oscar. He also said that acting instilled confidence in him.
Sarah Meeks, the residential manager of Oak Lodge School, where the drama was filmed said that the filming was an ‘intense period’ because a few kids involved has problems such as ADHD and autism. She also added that the children were proud of the outcome. Sarah Meeks further indicated that if the programme is successful, they will be commissioned to do more. The show will be aired from Tuesday on the Community Channel’s BSL Zone.
