Documentary backdrop image for When A Song Begins (2020)

Documentary backdrop image for When A Song Begins (2020)

202086 minGdocumentary

When A Song Begins

202086 minGdocumentary

One day, a lullaby slips from the lips of a deaf photographer, changing his life as he marries his deaf partner and becomes a father to a hearing child.

Genres

Director

Synopsis

One day, a lullaby slips from the lips of a deaf photographer, changing his life as he marries his deaf partner and becomes a father to a hearing child.

People

Hiroki Kawaidirector

Harumichi Saitocast

Synopsis

A deaf photographer navigates life through his visual experiences. He marries a fellow deaf partner and they have a hearing child. One day, he unexpectedly sings a lullaby, which alters his perception of sound. This moment marks a significant change in his life, blending his world of silence with the new presence of music. The documentary runs for 86 minutes and was released in 2020.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Lay Down Your Heart (2023)

Lay Down Your Heart

2023•1h6m•★10.0TMDB

Niall McNeil, an artist with Down syndrome, shares his life and creative connections with his chosen family, including director Marie Clements, in this intimate portrayal.

Lay Down Your Heart

Land of Silence and Darkness (1973)

Land of Silence and Darkness

1973•1h25m•★7.5TMDB

Fini Straubinger, who has been deaf and blind since her teens, advocates for the rights of deaf-blind individuals facing isolation from the world.

Land of Silence and Darkness

Blind & Deaf Woman Is Determined To Raise Her Baby Despite Her Disabilities (2022)

Blind & Deaf Woman Is Determined To Raise Her Baby Despite Her Disabilities

Julia has been blind since age four and deaf since age 20, yet she is determined to raise her daughter independently despite significant challenges.

Blind & Deaf Woman Is Determined To Raise Her Baby Despite Her Disabilities

Hearing Is Believing - The Life and Music of Rachel Flowers - Award Winning FULL Documentary (2023)

Hearing Is Believing - The Life and Music of Rachel Flowers - Award Winning FULL Documentary

Rachel Flowers, a 23-year-old musician and composer, showcases her extraordinary talent and inspiring life in this award-winning documentary.

Hearing Is Believing - The Life and Music of Rachel Flowers - Award Winning FULL Documentary

A Year Through the Eyes of a Baby: Experiencing the First Steps in Life (2023)

A Year Through the Eyes of a Baby: Experiencing the First Steps in Life

A baby experiences a temperature drop from 37 degrees in the womb to 23 degrees at birth, marking the start of her first year of life.

A Year Through the Eyes of a Baby: Experiencing the First Steps in Life

Blind, Deaf, Single And Pregnant (2022)

Blind, Deaf, Single And Pregnant

Julia is five months pregnant and determined to raise her child independently, despite being blind, deaf, and facing skepticism from social workers.

Blind, Deaf, Single And Pregnant

Groom Gets Married After Losing His Sight (Love Documentary) (2018)

Groom Gets Married After Losing His Sight (Love Documentary)

Nick and Sophie from Cambridgeshire navigate the challenges of cancer and blindness while preparing for their wedding, alongside another couple, Carly and Nelly, facing their own housing struggles.

Groom Gets Married After Losing His Sight (Love Documentary)

Love, Life & Death In A Day (Circle of Life Documentary) (2017)

Love, Life & Death In A Day (Circle of Life Documentary)

Fifteen weddings take place in Bristol over a single day, alongside numerous births and funerals, reflecting the cycle of life in modern Britain.

Love, Life & Death In A Day (Circle of Life Documentary)

Speaking for the first time: deaf children in Uganda (2018)

Speaking for the first time: deaf children in Uganda

In rural Uganda, many deaf children lack access to sign language education, leaving them isolated until initiatives help them learn to communicate.

Speaking for the first time: deaf children in Uganda

HEARTBREAKING: A Glimpse Into The Lives of Deafblind Children (A MUST-SEE) (2025)

HEARTBREAKING: A Glimpse Into The Lives of Deafblind Children (A MUST-SEE)

Four deafblind individuals, including 12-year-olds Adam and Mark, share their experiences and communication methods, highlighting their fulfilling lives despite challenges.

HEARTBREAKING: A Glimpse Into The Lives of Deafblind Children (A MUST-SEE)

Explore When A Song Begins

Trailer FAQ Stream

Browse more like this

Lay Down Your Heart (2023)

Lay Down Your Heart

2023•1h6m•★10.0TMDB

Niall McNeil, an artist with Down syndrome, shares his life and creative connections with his chosen family, including director Marie Clements, in this intimate portrayal.

Lay Down Your Heart

No digital watch option in your country

Land of Silence and Darkness (1973)

Land of Silence and Darkness

1973•1h25m•★7.5TMDB

Fini Straubinger, who has been deaf and blind since her teens, advocates for the rights of deaf-blind individuals facing isolation from the world.

Land of Silence and Darkness

No digital watch option in your country

Hearing Is Believing - The Life and Music of Rachel Flowers - Award Winning FULL Documentary (2023)

Hearing Is Believing - The Life and Music of Rachel Flowers - Award Winning FULL Documentary

Rachel Flowers, a 23-year-old musician and composer, showcases her extraordinary talent and inspiring life in this award-winning documentary.

Hearing Is Believing - The Life and Music of Rachel Flowers - Award Winning FULL Documentary

No digital watch option in your country

A Year Through the Eyes of a Baby: Experiencing the First Steps in Life (2023)

A Year Through the Eyes of a Baby: Experiencing the First Steps in Life

A baby experiences a temperature drop from 37 degrees in the womb to 23 degrees at birth, marking the start of her first year of life.

A Year Through the Eyes of a Baby: Experiencing the First Steps in Life

No digital watch option in your country

The Sign for Love (2017)

The Sign for Love

2017•1h15m•★10.0TMDB

A deaf man and his best friend decide to become parents together in a shared parenting arrangement while facing challenges in their small community.

The Sign for Love

Hear and Now (2007)

Hear and Now

2007•1h25m•★6.8TMDB

After 65 years of silence, a couple undergoes cochlear implant surgery, facing unexpected challenges as they adjust to a world filled with sound.

Sound and Fury (2000)

Sound and Fury

2000•1h20m•★7.3TMDB

One family chooses cochlear implants for their deaf child, while another family rejects them, fearing a loss of Deaf culture.

I'll Come to You with Deaf Eyes (2016)

I'll Come to You with Deaf Eyes

2016•1h47m•★6.9TMDB

A decade after his death, a filmmaker reflects on the life of Vincent, a Deaf friend, and the challenges faced by the Deaf community.

I'll Come to You with Deaf Eyes

Deaf Child (2018)

Deaf Child

2018•1h12m•★6.6TMDB

A young boy born deaf faces emotional and social challenges in a society that often marginalizes the deaf community.

Only I Can Hear (2022)

Only I Can Hear

2022•1h16m•★7.5TMDB

Fifteen-year-old Nyla is the only hearing member of her family, which has been deaf for five generations.

Only I Can Hear

Sing Me a Lullaby (2020)

Sing Me a Lullaby

2020•29m•★7.0TMDB

A daughter spends 14 years across North America and Europe searching for her mother's birth parents while examining identity and family connections.

Sing Me a Lullaby

Actions Speak Louder Than Words (1992)

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

1992•22m•★10.0TMDB

Six deaf performers create staged pieces that blend their experiences of gay and deaf cultures in a 22-minute collage shot entirely in British Sign Language.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Flying Hands (2024)

Flying Hands

2024•1h18m•★10.0TMDB

A mother in Pakistan challenges societal norms after the birth of her deaf daughter, advocating for education and acceptance within her community.

Language Says It All (1987)

Language Says It All

1987•25m•★5.5TMDB

A 25-minute documentary features four families in the United States raising deaf children and the challenges they face in communication.

Language Says It All

Browse more by Hiroki Kawai

View all films →

Clothes in Conversation (2021)

Clothes in Conversation

2021

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →