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. A 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 school for the blind in Lhasa, 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 Kylia, 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.
Film Crew
- : Lucy Walker
- : Michael Brown
- : Sebastian Duthy
- : Mike Wood
- : Steven Haft
- : Sybil Robson
- : Nitin Sawhney
Technical Information
- Couleur
- Tibetan
Keywords
Images
Videos
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Featuring exceptional people doing extraordinary things, “Blindsight” is one of those documentaries with the power to make you re-examine your entire life — or at least get off the couch.
Jeanette Catsoulis, The New York Times -
Walker’s approach to documentary is by no means revolutionary. But ‘Blindsight’ is a great example of the emotional dividends that careful photography, sensitive editing and an atmospheric score (by Nitin Sawhney) can deliver.
David Jenkins, TimeOut London -
Imagine traversing a snowy crevice on a shaky ladder. Now imagine doing it blind. Veteran climber Erik Weihenmayer did just that, but it’s his scheme to lead a bunch of teenagers in his footsteps that’s astounding. In Tibet, blindness is seen as a curse, but these kids learn to see past their society’s limitations, and every triumph and crisis along the way spurs them on. Uplifting but never mawkish, and gorgeously shot.
Helen O'Hara, Empire Magazine -
How they managed the trek defies belief, but in an art-form where superpowers have become passé, it's a stirring reminder of what human powers, against the odds, can achieve.
Anthony Quinn, The Independent





