When I talk to Marder over Zoom, it’s January 2021, and neither of us are aware yet that
Sound of Metal will pick up six Oscar nominations: best picture, best actor, best supporting actor, best original screenplay, best sound, and best film editing. As the potential awards indicate, Marder’s fictional feature debut excels both in front of and behind the camera. The cast, many of whom are deaf actors, are all faultless, while the technical details of each scene reveal more and more nuances upon rewatching. I also notice that Marder is so invested in the story that he still speaks as if Ruben is a real person.