Sarah Toscano Makes Acting Debut in Netflix Remake of French Hit La Famille Bélier

Italian singer Sarah Toscano will make her acting debut in "Non abbiam bisogno di parole," an Italian-language remake of the French film "La Famille Bélier," set to premiere on Netflix on Friday, April 3, 2026. The film, directed by Luca Ribuoli and produced by Our Films and Piper Film, centers on Eletta, a teenage girl who is the only hearing member of a deaf family and discovers she possesses an extraordinary singing voice. Toscano, who won the 23rd edition of the Italian talent competition Amici in 2024 and competed at the Sanremo music festival in 2025, takes on the lead role in what marks her first appearance on screen. A new original track by Toscano, titled "Atlantide," will also be released on the same day across radio and all streaming platforms.

Deaf actors bring authenticity to family roles A defining feature of the production is its casting of deaf actors in the roles of Eletta's family members, mirroring the approach taken in the American remake CODA. Emilio Insolera and Carola Insolera, who are a couple in real life, play Eletta's parents Alessandro and Caterina, while Antonio Iorillo plays her brother Francesco. The Insoleras and Iorillo are all professional deaf actors, a choice the production made to bring a level of authenticity and sensitivity to the portrayal of the deaf community. Serena Rossi, an Italian actress and singer with multiple national awards to her name, plays Giuliana, the singing teacher who recognizes Eletta's talent and pushes her to audition for a prestigious music school. The film's ensemble also includes Alessandro Parigi and Asia Corvino, according to Il Fatto Quotidiano. The story follows Eletta as she faces a choice between pursuing her own artistic future in Turin and remaining the indispensable voice and interpreter for her family, who run a farm in the province of Turin raising donkeys and producing milk, cheeses, and skin creams.

The original "La Famille Bélier" was a major box office success in France. The story was subsequently adapted into the American film "CODA," directed by Sian Heder, which won three Academy Awards. The Italian production follows the American remake's precedent of casting deaf actors in the deaf family roles, a decision that distinguished "CODA" from the French original and drew significant attention from disability advocacy communities.

Three months of sign language study before filming began Toscano committed to three months of intensive preparation before arriving on set, studying Italian Sign Language daily alongside coaches and the deaf actors who would play her on-screen family. She described the experience as an "incredible human enrichment," saying she had never previously reflected on what it meant to be the hearing child of deaf parents. In an interview with Corriere della Sera, she explained that the preparation extended beyond language to understanding the deaf community itself. „I worked for three months with them every day to get to know the community better.” — Sarah Toscano via Corriere della Sera Toscano also noted a counterintuitive challenge on set: the most technically demanding scenes were not those requiring sign language, but the singing sequences, in which she had to portray a young girl who has just discovered her voice and has not yet learned to control it. She told il Giornale that the experience prompted personal change as well, saying the role helped her access emotions more readily. „I am not a very sensitive person, I don't get emotional easily; thanks to this work, I can bring out more emotions, I even cry more.” — Sarah Toscano via il Giornale.it

Rossi highlights hearing disability representation in Italy Serena Rossi, speaking ahead of the release, drew attention to the broader social context the film addresses. According to Il Fatto Quotidiano, 7 million (people) — estimated number of people with hearing disabilities in Italy, representing 12.1 (percent) — share of Italian population with hearing disabilities of the population. Rossi emphasized that the film touches on the divide within the deaf community itself between those who use sign language and those who practice oralism, the approach that prioritizes learning spoken language through speech and lip-reading, often aided by cochlear implants or hearing aids. „Deafness must not be seen as diversity, but as normality, and I fight for this. There are those who want to make us take sensational steps backward.” — Serena Rossi via Il Fatto Quotidiano For Toscano, the film also opens a potential new chapter in her career. She told Il Messaggero she fell in love with cinema during the shoot and expressed a desire to pursue an "American-style" artistic path combining music and acting. Director Luca Ribuoli's film takes its title from a well-known song by Italian singer-songwriter Ron, a reference noted by Il Fatto Quotidiano as a deliberate nod to the Italian musical tradition that runs through the story.