Five-year-old Lawand is on a quest to find a world where there are people like him – people who will understand him. Since birth, Lawand has been profoundly Deaf and unable to communicate with those around him. He undertakes a treacherous journey with his family from Iraq to Derby, home of the Royal School for the Deaf. But this new life soon comes under threat when the family face deportation.

Along with members of the Derby community, they begin a new quest – a fight to stay in the place they now call home. Employing a striking visual style that frames Lawand’s development, from being voiceless to a voice representing others in the D/deaf community, Lovelace’s (The Possibilities Are Endless) documentary is an inspirational and touching coming-of-age story.

Text by Lynn Nwokorie, BFI London Film Festival

The preview screening on 1 Jul at 3.00pm will be followed by a Q&A with director Edward Lovelace hosted by Damien Coyle, CEO of University of Atypical with BSL interpretation by Heather Martin.

"A documentary that moves the medium forward… [The documentary] is a gripping and inspiring journey" POV magazine