Midlands film Silent child wins Oscar

A film made by a team from Staffordshire won an Academy Award for best live action short film at the Oscars last night.

The film was written by Rachel Shenton from Stoke-on-Trent who also starred in the movie. The director was Chris Overton from Cannock.

It is about a deaf schoolgirl who's taught to communicate by a social worker.

Rachel Shenton used sign language to deliver her acceptance speech.

The 30-year-old was inspired to write the film because of her own experience.

When she was 12 her father Geoff went deaf after having chemotherapy and could not hear for the last 18 months of his life.