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Screening:
Friday, April 28, 5:15 PM, Charles 2
Saturday, April 29, Noon, Charles 2

Synopsis:
Inspired by the 1906 poem by African American writer Paul Laurence Dunbar, Zeinabu irene Davis's debut feature tells two parallel love stories, set in turn of the century and present day Chicago. In both cases the relationship is between a deaf woman and a hearing man. Davis stylistically interweaves these two stories as the turn-of-the-century story is shot as if a silent film, complete with title cards, and there are subtitles throughout so that hearing and deaf viewers alike can follow the story. Compensation is a unique and layered film that effectively explores African American and deaf culture as well as the present and the past.

Tidbit:
"Strap the American Psycho in a chair and make him watch Compensation, and his head would explode."-Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times, January 25, 2000

Bios:
Michelle A. Banks makes her feature film debut in Compensation though she is already an accomplished actress and founder/artistic director of the Onyx Theatre Company for young deaf actors of color in New York. She has appeared in for colored girls who have considered suicide..., Godspell, and her own original one woman show Black Deaf Woman.

John Earl Jelks is one of the best known actors on the Black independent film scene. He has worked with director Zeinabu irene Davis on many projects including the award winning film A Powerful Thang previous to the collaboration in Compensation.