An entire neighbourhood secretly learned sign language to make a deaf man's day better
Man is completely bewildered by Truman Show-esque stunt
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.This year in touching altruistic acts only slightly tarred by their being an advert for a major brand, residents of Istanbul surprise a deaf man by all learning how to sign.
Muaharrem's sister, Ozlem, teamed up with Samsung for the stunt, which saw months of preparation as the language was learned and cameras were stationed around the neighbourhood.
In the video she is seen taking him on a fairly routine walk around their neighbourhood, only something about it feels Truman Show-esque.
A passing pedestrian signs hello, the man in the local shops signs the day's selection of bagels. Then the very next person they encounter and help collect his dropped groceries signs that he'd like to offer them an apple as thanks.
By the time a cab driver is also talking to him in sign language, Muaharrem is pretty freaked out.
The pair end their journey in a public square, where the stunt is revealed and Muaharrem's neighbours are waiting to greet them.
Even the heavy Samsung branding can't sober him, and he winds up in tears, touched that others would consider how shut off the world must be to him everyday.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments