The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program at Shepard High School opened up a whole new world for Malaak Hamad. So she and fellow alumna Paulina Karkoszka decided to spread the word about it by making a documentary film.
Their film, “Beyond Silence,” now has been nominated for a National Student Production Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which gives out Emmy awards.
“I wanted to share my life and help people get what it’s like to be deaf,” said Hamad, who lives in Alsip and is attending DePaul University, where she’s majoring in Communications and Media. “People often assume deafness is a problem, but I want to prove it doesn’t stop me from living, reaching goals, or having fun.
“I also hope to show other deaf people they can do anything they want—being deaf doesn’t decide what you can or can’t do.”
Karkoszka was already impressed with the DHH program at Shepard in Palos Heights, which is coordinated by the Eisenhower Cooperative, but admits she, like many students and staff, didn’t know exactly what it was like having a hearing challenge.
She got a glimpse during her junior year from a student on the boys’ swim and dive team.
“Seeing firsthand how he communicated with his interpreter during practices and meets really opened my eyes,” she said. “It was amazing watching how smoothly they worked together, and how much effort and teamwork went into making sure he was included in everything. The coaches also made an effort to learn some sign language and always made sure he understood everything being said.”
Karkoszka is currently studying in Poland at Wyzsza Szkola Biznesu – National Louis University, where she is majoring in Management with a specialty in Business Analysis. She’s also studying at Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University, majoring in Film and TV Production Management.
Their film, which can be viewed at https://youtu.be/D757KCJJL7E?si=jF2yazLHTt-lXYjr, won the Chicagoland/Midwest NATAS Crystal Pillar award, one of 14 entries in the region to earn a national nomination. Recipients will be announced Nov. 21 in a streamed program produced by National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Jodi Pelini, the students’ Advanced Media production teacher, said the assignment was to create a “competition-worthy documentary with high technical and storytelling merit.” The idea for the film had been brewing in Pelini’s mind for a while because she, too, had seen the impact of the DHH program.
“Malaak, as a DHH student herself, was the missing puzzle piece,” Pelini said. “She provided the crucial first-hand perspective we needed, serving as both a focal point for the story and an anchor to keep it grounded.”
Though Pelini said Karkoszka worried about being an outsider, “Malaak’s insight was invaluable in ensuring the project accurately reflected the DHH students’ perspectives, who simply didn’t want to be viewed as different or unique.”
She also said Karkoszka had the technical ability to make the film what it is.
“Paulina was the true technical genius behind the project,” said Pelini. “As one of the program’s rare four-year students, her producing skills were incredible and she had already won a handful of regional awards for other projects.
“This documentary was a passion project; she spent countless hours, both during and after school, filming students at swim meets, dance practices, and in their classrooms, and conducting interviews,” said Pelini.
It was hard work, too.
“It took tons of time and brainpower,” said Hamad. “I had to really think about my life and pick the best moments to show what it’s like being deaf and getting around.
“I had to try a few times to get my point across just right, and make sure I seemed real,” she said.
The result is a gracefully told story of Hamad and several other students with hearing challenges at Shepard, their experiences there and help they received.
Both alumni said Pelini was indispensable in making the film a success.
“She showed me how to tell my story well, helped me sort out my thoughts, and told me to be confident when talking about things,” said Hamad.
The two students also received positive feedback from their classmates, saying it was inspiring or “made them more curious and open-minded,” according to Karkoszka. She found herself plenty inspired, too, by Hamad.
“She’s such a strong and inspiring person, and getting to see her world up close made me appreciate things in a whole new way,” said Karkoszka. “It really reminded me how important it is to listen, to learn from others, and to be open to seeing life from someone else’s perspective.”
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
