Spanish film Deaf wins LUX Audience Award

The Spanish production Deaf (Sorda) is this year's winner of the European Parliament's LUX Audience Award. The winner was announced at a ceremony in Brussels on Tuesday evening.

The prize was accepted by director Eva Libertad and producer Nuria Munoz Ortin, CE Report quotes BTA.

The film tells the story of a deaf woman who is expecting a child with her hearing partner. Her anxieties about motherhood and her ability to communicate and interact with her daughter grow as she confronts the reality of raising a baby in a world not designed for her.

The other four shortlisted films were: Christy, by Irish director Brendan Canty; It Was Just an Accident, by Iranian director Jafar Panahi; Love Me Tender, by French director Anna Cazenave Cambet; and Sentimental Value, by Norwegian director Joachim Trier, which won the Best International Feature Film Oscar at the 98th Academy Awards in March 2026.

"I hope that this award will help to focus on the deaf community, and the diversity of people in Europe, and to promote inclusion policies that improve their living conditions. I am also confident that it will contribute to society changing its view of diversity, that it will no longer be seen as a problem and that it will be perceived as human wealth," said the director Eva Libertad.

She explained that her sister is deaf, which was one of the motivations for making the film. Her sister, Miriam Garlo, also plays the lead role in the award-winning film. Libertad described working with her sister as a "very positive experience" and noted that this was not their first collaboration, as Garlo is a theatre actress. However, this is her first appearance in a feature film. Libertad also said the film industry should provide appropriate conditions on set for deaf actors, adding that this is not difficult to achieve.

Sabine Verheyen, Vice-President of the European Parliament, said: "The LUX Audience Award shines a light on films that open our eyes to experiences beyond our own. This year's winner, Deaf, does exactly that - with courage, warmth, and rare authenticity." In her view, Libertad gives audiences "an unforgettable window into the life of a deaf woman navigating motherhood in a world not built for her". "Led by a stunning performance from deaf actress Miriam Garlo, the film challenges viewers to listen differently and to build a Europe where no one is left unheard," said Verheyen.

The winner was chosen by citizens across Europe, as well as the Members of the European Parliament, who voted for their favourite film on the LUX Audience Award rating platform. Their respective votes counted 50% each to the films' final scores.

For the first time this year, the films on the shortlist for the LUX Award, announced on October 7, 2025, have subtitles for people with hearing impairments.