A scene from “The Tuba Thieves” depicts a high school boy with a leather jacket and pompadour staring across a fence while another boy behind him plays blows into a trumpet.
Credit: Courtesy of The Film Collaborative
In the collective unit of a marching band, the isolated impact of each instrument can sometimes be forgotten. Filmmaker Alison O’Daniel wrote and directed “The Tuba Thieves” to explore this exact phenomenon.
The film — which is set to premiere at the Wexner Center for the Arts Tuesday — explores what it means to perceive sound, according to the center’s website. O’Daniel said as a d/Deaf/Hard of Hearing person, she constantly considers how sound escapes her and how access to sound can be negatively impacted or taken away by others.
“Deaf people are always in hearing worlds, and so I hope that hearing people can enter the deaf world a bit more and appreciate all that we have to offer to the aural world,” O’Daniel said in an email.
The title “The Tuba Thieves” alludes to the real-life theft of tubas from 12 separate high schools in Southern California between 2011 and 2013, O’Daniel said.
In contrast to news reports from the time, the film does not focus on the question of who stole the instruments; rather, “The Tuba Thieves” delves into the repercussions that arise from the tubas’ absence, according to a January 2023 interview with O’Daniel.
O’Daniel said the film, which took six years to make, depicts different aspects of hearing and listening by recreating three historic concerts: a 1952 avant-garde music show by composer John Cage, a 1979 punk show at the Deaf Club in San Francisco and a 1984 Prince concert at Gallaudet University, which primarily serves to educate deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
“I edited an early segment of the film at the Wexner Center for film and video, so I am especially excited to be invited back to screen the film,” O’Daniel said.
Art Possible Ohio, a statewide service organization that supports disabled artists, is a co-presenter for the event, the center’s website states. Simone Robinson, director of programs at Art Possible Ohio, said the organization is always aiming to promote and increase accessibility in the arts.
“We just feel like it’s important to embrace all forms of artwork, not just visual arts, so we’ve embraced film as well,” Robinson, an Ohio State alum, said.
Robinson said every audience member will be given a balloon so as to better feel the vibrations generated by the film’s soundscape. She said this practice has historically helped deaf people experience performances in a more meaningful way.
“The audience has the chance to understand how listening can be just beyond the ear but also with your body, and filling various sounds through a balloon or through emotion and that kind of thing,” Robinson said.
Robinson said all Ohio State students are not only encouraged to attend the event but to also reevaluate their perceptions about filmmaking in the process.
“I think that everyone needs a chance to view the film because not only is it a unique movie, but it’s just — I think — different because it gives you a way to listen beyond what is normal,” she said.
O’Daniel agreed.
“Film lovers, music enthusiasts, d/Deaf folks, anyone, everyone should not miss this opportunity,” O’Daniel said.
A Q&A session with O’Daniel will occur promptly after the screening, Vera Brunner-Sung, associate professor of theater, film and media arts, said.
“It’s an amazing learning opportunity for all of us, including students and faculty,” Brunner-Sung, who is slated to host the Q&A, said.
The screening will begin at 7 p.m., and is free for everyone with tickets. O’Daniel said the film will have open captions, meaning they are permanently visible to viewers and cannot be turned off. More information about the event and reserving tickets can be found on the Wexner Center for the Arts’ website.
