A NEW documentary about deaf identity that was made in Ilkley has been broadcast on television, gaining an emphatic response.

Found, which tells three deaf people's stories of how they discovered sign language, and with it a sense of their identity as a deaf person, was screened on Film4 and the Community Channel last week.

The programme was produced and directed by Ilkley filmmaker and journalist, Charlie Swinbourne, and made by Juggle Productions, who are based in Harrogate.

Several key scenes were filmed in Ilkley – on the stage at the Playhouse and on the moor – while other scenes were filmed in Leeds, Harrogate and Wakefield.

The programme is also available online, and has received hundreds of positive comments via social media.

To make the programme, Mr Swinbourne used a special device called an interrotron, which allowed his contributors to answer his interview questions while also looking straight into the camera.

Mr Swinbourne said: "When deaf people communicate in sign language, we maintain eye contact and the device replicates that for the audience watching the film.

"It made the interviews feel incredibly personal and direct."

The interview is accompanied by archive footage, photos of the contributors and new images of them in their everyday lives.

Visit http://www.bslzone.co.uk/watch/found/ to watch Found.