[nabs-l] Oppinions on the documentary "Going Blind"?

[Marc Workman]

Without intending to be harsh, and baseing my comments exclusively on the 
description below, the only reason I might consider showing this film to 
people is so that I could explain what is so harmful about the attitudes 
expressed in it.

It feels much more like the all-too-common personal tragedy/inspiring 
individuals way of depicting blindness.  Hard to say for sure, but this is 
the impression I get from the description.

Best,

Marc
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Anmol Bhatia" <anmolpbhatia at yahoo.com>
To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 9:08 AM
Subject: [nabs-l] Oppinions on the documentary "Going Blind"?


> Hello all,
> I found this documentary "Going Blind" which will be showing in a theoter 
> in New York City on October 8 and can be perchased by universities for 
> public showing. I am considering asking my university to perchasing it to 
> show for Disability Awareness month activity, but I wanted some oppinion 
> on what other blind people think about it.
> A brief discription is provided below:
>
> ABOUT THE FILM
>
> Going Blind is a unique documentary film that increases public awareness 
> of sight loss and low vision issues profoundly affecting the lives of more 
> and
> more people and those who love them.
>
> Documentary film director and journalist Joe Lovett has glaucoma, a 
> disease that robs 4.5 million people of their vision world wide. Over the 
> years, Joe
> has lost a significant amount of vision and in his concern about how to 
> deal with more vision loss, he has started to talk with people who have 
> already
> lost theirs; people who have lost their sight through blinding diseases 
> like diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration, others through 
> infection and
> accidents.
>
> Some of the people he meets on the street, stopping to ask if they have 
> time to talk. Each one has a fascinating story about dealing with the loss 
> we fear
> most, the loss of sight.
>
> Going Blind interweaves Joe’s story, his mission to do what he can to slow 
> down the course of his disease through medication and surgeries, with the 
> stories
> of others whom he looks to for guidance in a darkening world.
>
> Jessica Jones, a neighbor of Joe’s, is one of the people participating in 
> the film. They met on the street when Jessica was training her seeing eye 
> dog
> Chef, a black lab.
>
> A young, beautiful and talented artist who had been teaching in the New 
> York City public school system, Jessica was exasperated by the lack of 
> encouragement
> and opportunities after she had lost her sight to diabetic retinopathy in 
> just 8 months at age 32. During the process of filming Jessica secured a 
> job
> teaching art at a school in the Bronx for blind children with multiple 
> disabilities.
>
> Another is eleven-year old Emmet Teran. Emmet has low vision from 
> albinism, a condition he inherited from his father who also has to deal 
> with extremely
> low vision. Emmet works with a comedy troupe after school and uses humor 
> to dismiss some of the hurts a child encounters from his peers.
>
> These compelling individual stories provide the sighted with a glimpse 
> into the world of low vision and blindness. Worldwide, 37,000,000 people 
> have lost
>
> their vision. In the United States alone, Lighthouse International reports 
> that 10 million people are legally blind (1.3 million) or visually 
> impaired
> (8.7 million).
>
> Given our aging population and the increasing prevalence of low vision in 
> our society, it is of paramount importance that we understand sight loss 
> and work
> towards a better future. Going Blind encourages and inspires people to 
> take action to preserve, prolong, and maximize the precious gift of 
> sight – for
> themselves, their loved ones, and society.
>
>
> Anmol
> I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps 
> there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze 
> among flowers.
> Hellen Keller
>
>
>
>
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