13: Sound of Metal

Tears flow as writer-director Darius Marder and actor and ASL rocker Paul Raci join Letterboxd’s editor-in-chief Gemma Gracewood to talk about their new film Sound of Metal, in which Ruben (Riz Ahmed), a punk-rock drummer suffering hearing loss, turns to adult deafness coach Joe (Raci, the son of deaf parents). We talk disability representation in movies, the Serenity Prayer as film structure, heavy-metal sign language, making producers’ brains hurt, and releasing your debut feature at the worst time in human history. Plus: other music movies for you to soak up before 2020 crawls back into its hole.

Films mentioned

• The Place Beyond the Pines
• Blue Valentine
• Sound of Metal
• Run
• Wonderstruck
• The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?
• Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You
• Zappa (and the Letterboxd Show episode with Alex Winter)
• The Shawl

The Letterboxd Show is recorded in Los Angeles, Brooklyn and Auckland, and edited by Tony Stamp. The theme tune is ‘Hitchcock’ by The Phoenix Foundation (new album The Friend Ship out now!). Podcast artwork by Ann Davenport. On the next episode: festive feelings with Happiest Season’s Mary Holland! Leave us a voice message about your favorite festive film at letterboxd.show.