A spate of robberies in Southern California schools had an oddly specific target: tubas! In this work of creative nonfiction, d/Deaf director and Wells College Filmmaker-in-Residence Alison O’Daniel presents the impact of these crimes from an unexpected angle. The film mimics a game of telephone, where the story bends and weaves to human interpretation and miscommunication. The result is a stunning contribution to cinematic language. O’Daniel has developed a syntax of deafness that offers a complex, overlaid, surprising new texture, which offers a dimensional experience of sound and reorients the audience to cinema in an unfamiliar and exhilarating way. “The Tuba Thieves” screening will conclude Wells College’s Filmmaker-In-Residence Series for the academic year.

The film will be screened in Barler Auditorium and is free and open to the public. O’Daniel will be on-campus for the screening and a panel discussion. ASL interpretation is confirmed for the event. Wells College Associate Professor of English Dan Rosenberg will moderate the discussion, joined by O’Daniel, filmmakers Cathy Crane of Ithaca College and Mike Stoltz of Binghamton University, and Wells College Assistant Professor of Studio Art Anna Ialeggio. A form to pre-register and share accessibility needs for the event is recommended.