Mayu Hirano

"I've always wanted to be deaf," says 15-year-old Nyla. She's the only hearing person in her family going back five generations and views her ability to hear as both a gift and a curse. Itaru Matsui and Heath Cozens weave together the fascinating experiences of four children of deaf adults—also known as CODAs—and the challenges and joys they face living between these two worlds.

"I've always wanted to be deaf," says 15-year-old Nyla. She's the only hearing person in her family going back five generations and views her ability to hear as both a gift and a curse. Itaru Matsui and Heath Cozens weave together the fascinating experiences of four children of deaf adults—also known as CODAs—and the challenges and joys they face living between these two worlds.

This film focuses on the "Out in Japan" project in which over 1,000 portraits of Japanese LGBT+ individuals were taken by photographer Leslie Kee and exhibited around the country. Many of the subjects share their stories and come out for the first time in hopes of normalizing the community and adding awareness to closeted Japanese through this project.