Deaf cinema lovers celebrate new captioned screenings in Crouch End

Film buffs with hearing impairments are celebrating the launch of captioned films on a Saturday at the ArtHouse cinema.

While the cinema has been showing captioned films on a Wednesday since it opened in 2014, this is the first time it is committing to showings at a more popular time.

A crowd of 30, including a group from the deaf community, came to the first Saturday showing with subtitles, Lady In The Van, on Saturday.

Helen Schreibman-Smith (pictured) who is deaf, spearheaded the campaign for the independent cinema to show subtitled films on a Saturday.

“Many people who need to follow dialogue via captions are prevented from seeing a film on the weekends when they are with their family or friends, or want to share the experience with someone,” she said, in an email to venue manager Tom Barrie.

While she could see captioned films on a Wednesday afternoon, Ms Schreibman-Smith argued they were only convenient for the elderly and unemployed.

“A second screening of each captioned film on a Saturday afternoon... will enhance the quality of life for many deaf people,” she wrote. “Most deaf people have little chance to meet up face to face or live far apart from each other.”

While not every film released will have captions, venue manager Tom Barrie has committed to an extra Saturday screening of subtitled films wherever possible.

“We want to make film accessible to all,” said Mr Barrie. “We listen to what our audiences want.”