CLARK FREEPORT – In the continuing bid to treat persons with disabilities (PWDs), a special movie screening for the blind and the deaf featuring films with audio description and subtitles were presented in selected SM cinemas in the country.
The special movie screenings were presented by SM Cares in partnership with the Deaf and Blind Suppor Philippines, Inc.; the Center for Advocacy, Learning and Livelihood (CALL) Foundation of the Blind, Inc.;the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB); and SM Cinemas on Wednesday.
At the SM City Clark here, The Life of Pi, which has been commercially shown in the past, was again shown at Cinema 3 at 8 a.m. but this time with two added features – the Audio Description (AD) and Close Captioning (CC) – which can enable the visually impaired and the hearing impaired to enjoy the movie.
AD is a special narration of key visual elements of a film which can enable the blind to appreciate the movie. The narrated insertions are inserted into pauses in between screen dia-logues to add context to the story but without disturbing the original flow of the film.
This would enable the visually impaired movie goer to follow the development of the film story without guessing or without asking somebody else what’s going on. CC transcribes the audio portion of the program so that the hearing impaired can read the printed words on the screen.
Captions also identify the speakers in the movies, describe in words the sound effects, as well as indicate music and laughter for the appreciation of the deaf, said SM City Clark assistant mall manager Andrea Madlangbayan.
She added that the special movie screenings “are meant to bring greater accessibility of movies and visual media to PWDs in the Philippines.” Other SM cinemas also featured special movie screenings like Hugo for SM City Marikina, Les Miserables for SM Supercenter Muntinlupa, and Taken 2 for SM City Naga.
SM partner organizations also include AKAP Pinoy, Philippine Blind Union, NCDA, Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, and the Angeles City SPED Center.
