PBS has released a short film about a queer deaf Afro-Latino learning to accept himself.
Ode to Pablo is a part of the 2019 Online Film Festival, which runs from July 15 to July 26. The festival, which started in 2012, features 25 films from PBS member stations and ITVS and POV. The short films produced offer diverse and complex stories of the human experience and existence.
For Ode to Pablo, the story is focused on an athletic man who bridges the gap between the deaf community, the LGBTQ community, and the Black/Latinx communities. More specifically:
“Challenged to a basketball game by local boys, Pablo, a queer, deaf Afro-Latino, agrees to play. Pablo (played by Ian Vasquez) does not reveal much about himself, but lets his basketball skill speak for itself. He’s enjoying the game when an unexpected incident makes it clear to the other teens that Pablo is deaf. Despite assumptions about each and however brief, Pablo makes a connection with one of the boys.”
If this sounds interesting to you, you can watch the short film in its entirety down below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3h46huyr3U
