HKNC to host New York premiere of “Feeling Through” at Port Washington Library

The Island Now
Helen Keller National Center will host the New York premiere of "Feeling Through" at the Port Washington LIbrary on June 25. (Photo courtesy of HKNC)

Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults (HKNC), a division of Helen Keller Services (HKS), has announced the kick-off of the national screening tour of “Feeling Through”, the first film ever to feature a deaf-blind actor in a lead role. The New York premiere of the short film will be held Tuesday, June 25 at the Port Washington Library.

“We wanted someplace close to our Sands Point campus for the first New York screening,” said HKNC Executive Director Susan Ruzenski. “The Port Washington Library is a beautiful community resource and perfect for this event. We’re hoping all our local friends come out to join us for a very special evening.”

In addition to Doug Roland, who wrote and directed the film, cast members will be present along with HKNC interpreters. A 25-minute documentary on the making of “Feeling Through” will also be shown followed by a question and answer period.

“Feeling Through” grew from Roland’s encounter with a deaf-blind man in New York City years earlier. “It occurred to me that I had never met anyone who was deaf-blind before,” he observed, “and I certainly had never seen a deaf-blind individual in a film.”

Committed from the start to accurately representing the deaf-blind community, Roland reached out to Ruzenski and a strong collaborative relationship developed between the filmmaker and HKNC. “Working with Doug on this project has been an absolute pleasure,” she concluded. “Everyone at HKNC is thrilled for him and the film. We’re also excited that the Port Washington screening is taking place during Deaf-Blind Awareness Week.”

To help advance the rights of deaf-blind individuals, President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation in 1984 designating the last week of June as Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week.

The New York debut of “Feeling Through” is free to the public and begins at 6:30 p.m. on June 25 at the Port Washington Library’s Lapham Room. More information is available at www.pwpl.org. Should an audience member require an interpreter or listening device, please RSVP to cindy.witkow@hknc.org.

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