Watch The Silent Chaos

"People are scared of the deaf. They are convinced that we are possessed by evil spirits", Dominic, a deaf man from Butembo City, tells us. The strong belief in magic in this part of the Congo means that he, like so many other deaf Congolese, is forced to live in isolation, dehumanized by his neighbors' unwillingness to interact with him. As a result he is thrown into chaos. For the deaf, this vibrant land of rich red soil and green green grass, offers only a silent and empty landscape amidst isolation and rejection. "My father despised me because I was deaf and he couldn't stand for me to have a life outside of the house. When I arrived home he threw me to the ground and beat me with a club full of nails." Kavira says, illuminating how even the families of the deaf can often fear and loath them. Outside of the personal turmoil of their exclusion, there is another threat that hangs constantly over the deaf in the Congo, war. "We can tell that we don't suffer any more: we die." Jean Bosco says when talking about the conflict that engulfs them and brings not only physical death, but also the inner death that comes from the rape and pillage that the soldiers wreak. Even this conflict is shrouded in mysticism as the Mai Mai fighters talk of their magical invincibility and weapons gifted from god. This is the strange other worldly universe that deaf people in the Congo are trapped in, one of magic and death and unbearable loneliness.
However, they are incredibly resilient. Despite the hardships they endure, some deaf Congolese never give up fighting for dignity and happiness. They make up 2% of the population and are constantly persecuted, they fight a war within a war. One of the most impressive films you'll see from Africa.