Spanish film ‘Deaf’ awarded with the European Parliament's 2026 LUX Prize
The European Parliament awarded its LUX film prize to "Sorda" ("Deaf") from the Spanish director Eva Libertad and actress Miriam Garlo, who have replicated on the big screen their deep and special relationship.
Sorda (Deaf) by Eva Libertad is the winner of the European Parliament’s LUX Audience Award, selected by European citizens and members of the European Parliament. The decision was announced on Tuesday by Parliament’s Vice-President Sabine Verheyen in Brussels.
The film, one of Euronews Culture's favourite ones of 2025, was chosen over the four competitors, It Was Just An Accident, Christy, Sentimental Value (Affeksjonsverd) and Love Me Tender.
It is about a deaf mother, Ángela, confronting the reality of raising a baby in a world not built for her, touching upon themes of disability, inclusion, gender and parenting.
Her relationship with her partner Héctor is turned upside down by the birth of their baby, which brings joy but also serious challenges to the couple.
“They have built this ‘bubble of love’ that seems unbreakable, where they communicate very well. But it only works when they are alone”, director Eva Libertad told Euronews in an interview.
“When the baby arrives, that bubble bursts and the relationship has to open up. Ángela sees how Héctor’s focus shifts: from being there just for her, he is suddenly there for the baby too, and her daughter is a hearing child,” Libertad said.
Here, the female protagonist has another challenge to face. “Some fears begin to emerge: as a mother and as a deaf woman, she thinks she won’t be able to keep up with her daughter in the hearing world because she is not hearing.”
A sisterhood story
The film’s story also reflects Libertad's personal life, as the actress playing Ángela, Miriam Garlo, is her sister.
“Miriam was born with normal hearing. She lost her hearing when she was seven, but my parents were never told that she was deaf. She had a 60% hearing loss at that point, which has increased over time,” the director said.
“Like many deaf people, she spent her whole life reading lips and making a constant effort to adapt and find her place in this society tailored for hearing people,” Libertad said, explaining that her sister only learned the sign language and entered the deaf community when she was 30. “I was there with her and we have walked this path together.”
The two sisters’ deep connection is also somehow reflected in the movie’s main characters.
“That couple I created is not a mirror, but more like a reflection of the relationship with my sister. I always say that Héctor is a sort of mirror of myself. I put a lot of myself into this character, all those awkward moments and feelings that I’ve had throughout my life in my relationship with Miriam,” Eva Libertad explained.
Sorda was well received in Spain, as it does justice to a specific community while still managing to make its themes about the importance of communication.
As the director explained to Euronews, all the scenes have been based on real situations experienced by deaf people, including when Ángela gives birth without the help of her partner and without being able to understand what the obstetrician says.
“All the women I had interviewed had one thing in common: the delivery had been traumatic. I showed real moments from births that real women have shared with me,” Libertad told us.
After watching this heart-rendering scene, the regional government of Murcia (in Southern Spain, where the director is from) decided to implement a protocol for deaf mothers in the region’s hospital.
“In Spain, something has already happened, thanks to this film”, Libertad says.
