Three out of
Five stars
Running time:
104 mins
An inspirational, gripping and frequently heartbreaking film, though some questionable editing choices mean it's not quite as satisfying as it could have been.
What's it all about?
In 2001, Erik Weihenmayer became the first blind man in history to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak. Inspired by his story Sabriye Tenberken, a blind educator who founded Tibet's only school for the blind, wrote to Erik and told him of the effect his story had on her students, inviting him to visit their school and give a climbing workshop.
Instead, Erik persuaded Sabriye to allow him to lead a party of six blind Tibetan teenagers on a climbing expedition to the 23,000-foot Lhakpa Ri, on the north side of Mount Everest. Aided by Erik's trusted team of sighted guides and professionals, the film accompanies Erik, the six teenagers and an increasingly frazzled Sabriye on every stage of their epic journey.
The Good
The film includes interviews with the children and their families, which reveal shocking details such as the fact that in Tibet, blind children are thought to be possessed or punished for evil deeds in a past life. As a result, they're often hidden away by their families – it's heartbreaking to hear the children express that belief themselves.
The film also focuses on the equally heartbreaking story of one of the students - 19-year-old Tashi - a Chinese boy whose family sold him when he was ten years old. However, the reunion with his family doesn't quite play out the way you expect (and is confusing because you're not sure whether it takes place before or after the climb).
The Bad
Unfortunately, the film is frequently frustrating, devoting too much time to Tashi and the arguments between the adults, instead of concentrating on the children themselves. Similarly, it's annoying that we don't get to see the reactions of the parents when the children return.
Worth seeing?
Blindsight is a genuinely inspirational film that deserves to be seen, though it's sadly not as good as it should have been.