LOS ANGELES: Indie film CODA won the top prize at Saturday night’s Producers Guild Awards, giving momentum to the possibility that the small film could have a big night at Oscars.

The story of three adult family members who are deaf and a fourth who is not, and seeks a singing career, beat out bigger contenders, including The Power of the Dog, Dune and West Side Story to take an award that more often than not goes on to win the Academy Award for best picture.

“This movie has been an amazing ride, it was such a special one to make, there was so much love and so much heart put into it,” said Fabrice Gianfermi as he accepted the award with his co-producers Philippe Rousselet and Patrick Wachsberger at the 33rd PGA Awards.

An American Sign Language translator, who had been off to one side of the stage throughout the speeches, stood front and centre during the CODA acceptance and another stood in front of the stage to translate for the three actors from the film who are deaf: Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin and Daniel Durant.

The title of the film is an acronym for “children of deaf adults”.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2022