RETHINKING ABILITY Featuring some of the festival's most astounding efforts are the films White Sound, 2007, by Sarah Tracton, Unlocked, 2008, by Maya Newell and Amber Wright and the films of Jessica Tyrrell. Tracton's film, White Sound, explores the experience of sound when a person is deaf or hard of hearing; Newell and Wright's documentary focuses on a community program called "Unlock" nourishing the creative spirits of people with various disabilities; while the films of Jessica Tyrrell focus on the experience of blindness, having appeared as part of her dynamic and acclaimed project, "The Braille Box" (2007). On Sarah Tracton: Sarah Tracton was born with moderate hearing loss, but in her early twenties, she lost what little hearing she had. Sarah lipreads in 68 nationalities following her work at SBS Radio - some people suggest she's so good at it, she could work for the FBI. As she had all those years living with some hearing, she has a very strong auditory memory, and a strong musicality. She uses these in the film White Sound to explore the idea of living in a soundless world. "Silence can be opressive, and deafness can be disturbing". We asked Sarah to describe her ideas and reasons for the film: Is it possible to live a 'soundless' existence? An experiential trip into sonic landscapes, White Sound explores the notion of a 'soundless' existence. Featuring Phillip Debs and Rania Saab, the documentary visualises through Deaf and hearing impaired observance and impression. Filmed on location at the National Art School in East Sydney, White Sound is a space where noise, silence and imagination converge. Sculptors decibel piercing welding contrasts to the quiet scraping of print makers burnishing their etching plates. White Sound is recreated in the 'minds ear'. Text taken from this link which features an interview with Tracton by Adam Spencer. Jessica Tyrrell is a Sydney-based new media artist who works at the intersection of installation, audio/visual performance, sound, video, online & locative media. Fusing a cinematic sensibility with a love of poetic text, she creates works that draw out fragmented narratives and often incorporate documentary elements. Jessica is currently engaged in creating physically immersive environments that experiment with the affect of interactivity and space on narrative, poetics and spectatorship. Jessica’s work has been included at various festivals in Australia, such as Liquid Architecture, Real Life on Film (ACMI), & Electrofringe and she has recently exhibited at Carriageworks & Chalkhorse Gallery in Sydney.