This past Sunday, we saw some pretty heartfelt moments at the 98th Annual Academy Awards involving the cast of ” Sinners,” including Michael B. Jordan’s victory speech. His was a much deserved win considering the depth and reach of this incredible film. By the end of the night, ”Sinners” had swept up a gag-worthy total of four Oscars, but it was ultimately its director and writer, Ryan Coogler, who ended up wordlessly sweeping us away.
Throughout the ceremony, Coogler was seen communicating via American Sign Language (ASL) with his fellow cast members from a distance, including an “I love you” during Jordan’s speech, and “thank yous” throughout the night.
After witnessing him use ASL as part of his communication at the event, some people online were delightfully curious: Why did Coogler, who has never publicly said he is part of the deaf or hard of hearing community, seem to this comfortable using ASL?
It turns out that his wife, Zinzi Coogler, is an ASL interpreter who has worked with deaf advocacy groups in the Bay Area, and Coogler has a history of advocating for the deaf and hard of hearing community. In fact, a version of “Sinners” in Black American Sign Language was made available when the movie hit streaming on Max last summer. It was the first time a streaming service showcased BASL, and especially meaningful since this movie symbolized several important firsts.
