Until recently, Tibet has been anything but a Shangri-La for the blind. Lucy Walker's intriguing and often visually stunning documentary Blindsight tells us that the beleaguered Buddhist country has long shunned the sightless on the assumption that they were being punished for sins committed in past lives. The six blind teenagers at the center of the film have certainly had it rough. Tashi Pasang was sold at age 10 to a couple who regularly beat him, while Gyenshen, who went blind when he was nine, was kept hidden by his parents for four years out of shame. Tashi, Gyenshen, and the four other adolescents profiled here found both sanctuary and opportunity thanks to the amazing Sabriye Tenberken, a strong-willed blind woman who created a rigorous school for visually-impaired Tibetan kids. As if learning three languages and preparing for careers weren't enough to handle, the six students join Tenberken for an assault on the highest mountain on Earth: Everest. Partnering with Erik Weihenmayer, who lost his vision at age 12 yet climbed Everest, Tenberken and the kids are also joined by a number of sighted climbers. Blindsight captures the dreamy-scary beauty of Everest's upper reaches, the numerous mini-dramas concerning the kids' readiness to approach the summit, and the tension and infighting that begins to emerge between the grownups who disagree about the students' best interests. It seems no matter where one is on Earth—including the highest peak—two or more people can always have trouble seeing eye-to-eye (not that Tashi, Gyenshen, or the others are bothered by the conflicts between the adults). An engrossing and moving documentary, this is recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a 14-minute “making-of” featurette, a 14-minute update on “The Young Tibetans,” a 13-minute “The Young Tibetans Travel to America” featurette, six minutes of “Insights from Erik and Sabriye” featuring blind mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer and blind social worker Sabriye Tenberken, “Audience Reactions” (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a powerful documentary.] (T. Keogh)
Blindsight
Image, 108 min., in Tibetan, German & English w/English subtitles, PG, DVD: $27.99, Jan. 13 Volume 24, Issue 1
Blindsight
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