Send Back the Echo (2021)

"I beg of you to keep the matter of my deafness a profound secret to be confided to nobody, no matter whom..." - Ludwig van Beethoven 'send back the echo' is not an homage to the myth or legend of Beethoven. It is a journey inspired by a deaf musician. The composer's personal letters and memoirs reveal a human story of intense passion, fear and joy as he reconciled solitude and deafness with a deep love of nature and music. These confessions, interpreted and performed in British Sign Language by deaf actor Vilma Jackson, are accompanied by music from the film's director and composer, Jasmin Kent Rodgman. Performed by the multi-national ensemble United Strings of Europe, 'send back the echo' invites a moment of reflection on the alienation faced by the deaf community and people of colour within music, culture and the arts.