The Tuba Thieves

It’s true that a rash of tuba thefts has plagued Los Angeles high schools, but the mystery behind the loss is not the point in this film, which blends documentary, narrative, and essay forms. Instead, filmmaker Alison O’Daniel creates a visually stunning work that captures life on roads, seas, and mountains, and in forests and skies, and features sound design—including sequences of complete silence—so visceral it almost feels textured. Open captioned and populated by a largely deaf cast, the film invites the audience both to “hear” the world through the experiences of the deaf and hard of hearing and to really listen to the world around us.