Blindsight (2008) Movie Information:

Blindsight (2008) Directed by: Lucy Walker Blindsight (2008) Written by: Not available at this time Blindsight (2008) Cast: Not available at this time

Blindsight (2008) U.S. Distributor: Robson Entertainment Blindsight (2008) U.K. Distributor: Not available at this time

Our Rating: User Rating:  Log in to rate this movie

Blindsight (2008) Synopsis:

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Himalayas, "Blindsight" follows the gripping adventure of six Tibetan teenagers who set out to climb the 23,000-foot Lhakpa Ri on the north side of Mount Everest. The dangerous journey soon becomes a seemingly impossible challenge -- made all the more remarkable by the fact that the teenagers are blind. Believed by many Tibetans to be possessed by demons, the children are shunned by their parents, scorned by their villages and rejected by society. Rescued by Sabriye Tenberken, a blind educator and adventurer who established the first and only school for the blind in Tibet, the students invite the famous blind mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer to visit their school after learning about his conquest of Everest. Erik arrives in Lhasa and inspires Sabriye and her students Kyila, Sonam Bhumtso, Tashi, Gyenshen, Dachung and Tenzin to let him lead them higher than they have ever been before. The resulting 3-week journey is beyond anything any of them could have predicted.

Blindsight (2008) Movie Review:

The journey of a group of blind Tibetan teenagers up the Himalayas may not seem like an interesting way to spend two hours, but Blindsight is actually well worth your time. Not only does it portray the struggles of the blind to trek through unseen dangers, but it shows Western audiences unfamiliar Tibetan culture. This film is not about pity for the blind, or even the dangers of mountain climbing. It is about the triumph of the human spirit and how seemingly contrary cultures in this world can come together to overcome any obstacle. This film examines fundamental human struggles in a unique and heartfelt story.

The blind are treated much differently in Tibet than in America. The blind in Tibet, are shunned because their disease is said to be caused by their sins. Therefore, Sabriye Tenberken set up Braille Without Borders, a school for blind Tibetan children, in 1998 to show that “blindness is not a disability”. She and six teenagers at the school agree to hike 23,000 ft to the Mount Lhakpa-Ri peak of Mount Everest after some inspiration from Erik Weihenmayer, a blind mountain climber who conquered Mount Everest without being able to see a single deadly crevasse. Together with Erik and his team of guides, the teens set out to prove that they can do something in this world too. Their noble cause is frequently hindered by the medical dangers of mountain climbing, but also the differences about what the trip really means for the kids taking it. Is their success contingent on climbing all 23,000 ft, or is there something more to be gained from going where few humans have ever gone before?

This movie brings up so many interesting questions about the human experience, as well as cultural differences. While debating whether or not to continue up the mountain, one of the American guides points out that Westerners were the first to climb the Himalayas for the sake of conquering them and that this concept is new to the Tibetan children. Sabriye Tenberken, as caretaker of the children, has doubts about the expedition that only another blind person would understand. She wants the children to be able to experience the Himalayas with the senses that they do have, and not just climb for the sake of climbing. These issues of understanding culture and living life for the experience hit close to home in this modern shrinking world.

Blindsight also presents each of the six teenager’s unique story and lets the audience see the personality behind the disability. It focuses a great deal on Tashi, an outsider even among the other blind children, and his quest to reunite with his family after about ten years. Each child grows into their own person after the journey, realizing that they can do anything they want to. The stories of these children are truly inspirational and by the end of the movie you are completely invested in them.

Besides being deeply contemplative, this film presents some of the most breathtaking images. There are many shots of the beautiful, snow-covered Himalayas interspersed throughout. The camera gives us such intimate looks at nature rarely seen by human eyes. It opens up a whole new world view usually only seen on a discovery channel special.

There are no DVD extras for Blindsight, but the film is satisfying enough.

Our Rating: User Rating:  Log in to rate this movie

Blindsight (2008) review written by: Kirsten Moore