Holly Wissler, Ph.D., assistant professor of instruction in the School of Music at Texas State University, will present her documentary, “Dante’s Story: The Fight for Deaf Rights in Peru,” on Sept. 10 6-8 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center Recital Hall.
The documentary, which has been in development since 2016, centers around deaf rights in Peru and issues with deaf education through the story of Wissler’s adopted deaf son, Dante. Alumnus Pablo Mejia served as editor on the project.
Completion of the documentary’s post-production was partially funded by a Research Accelerator Grant from the Division of Research at TXST. The documentary was produced in four languages: Spanish, LSP (Peruvian Sign Language), English, and ASL (American Sign Language).
“I feel both deeply relieved and incredibly grateful to see this 10-year project finally completed,” Wissler said. “This documentary brings together decades of my life and work in Peru, beginning with my years first as a trek leader in the Andes and deepening through my work as an ethnomusicologist with the indigenous Quechua community of Q’eros.”
In August, Wissler was the recent recipient of a grant from Nature Wisdom House to hire a translator to record the Quechua voiceover of the documentary as well so that it will be available to Peru's native Quechua speakers.
Wissler held numerous screenings of the documentary over the summer in Peru. She also has plans for additional showings at Austin Community College and the Texas School for the Deaf.
Wissler will embark on a university exchange trip on Sept. 18 to Vijaybhoomi University outside of Mumbai, India, to represent TXST in their "True School of Music" during the fall. She will also serve as Fulbright Scholar in the ethnomusicology department at Kathmandu University, Nepal. She will hold screenings in both countries.
“The film offers many windows into Peru: indigenous and deaf cultures and education, the heartfelt challenges of families, and the profound lack of services and access for deaf people,” she said. “But at its heart, this is a story about our common humanity and the need for language, communication, and connection, and what becomes possible when we truly reach across differences to understand one another.”
The event is open to the public and no ticket is required. The documentary will be screened with English subtitles and ASL interpretation. A Q&A session with Wissler will follow the showing.