This interesting documentary tells a remarkable tale of an expedition to take blind Tibetan children trekking in the Himalayas; but also of a personality clash between two remarkable people. On one hand, there is Erik Weihenmeyer, the first blind man to climb Everest, and the team of (sighted) mountaineers who are guiding the kids. On the other, there is Sabriye Tenberken, a blind woman who runs the first school for blind Tibetans, who agrees to the expedition but subsequently has doubts about how it is progressing. At some level, Sabine simply doesn't understand the mountaineer's philosophy (with it's emphasis on summitting); she is probably right in identifying the mismatch between the mountaineers goals and the desires of the children but her certainty in her own correctness makes her a hard person to sympathise with, especially as she has an effective veto. In the background to this (reasonably well-mannered) clash, we get an insight into the lives of the children themselves. I enjoyed the film, although it delivers a message clearly designed to be uplifting - even though it details the quarrel, the film somewhat relentlessly asserts how amazing all those who feature in it are. But it's hard to argue with that assessment, even if it is presented to the viewer somewhat unsubtly.

Before seeing this, I was put off by the subject matter, but this is not your average triumph over adversity story. Although this is technically about blind Tibetan kids climbing Mt. Everest, there is so much more to it. This movie shows the very strong, often contradictory personalities of two highly accomplished blind adults leading the children, Erik and Sabriye. Erik is an American blind mountain climber/athlete and Sabriye is a blind German academic who started a school in Lhasa Tibet. They are both exceptional in their own ways, but disagree on what will really build confidence in the kids. Erik wants them to reach the summit while Sabriye wants them to enjoy Erik as a role model and take pleasure in moment. The nuances are complicated and one walks away not really being sure who was right or if the whole climb was a mistake or a great idea. The most profound scenes are with the Tibetan children themselves and the hardships they faced before finding their way to the school. The most moving for me was the story of Tashi, a frail teenager who grew up on the streets after his parents abandoned him. I could watch a whole movie on his life and was happy to learn that thanks to the school, he is now running a successful small business with some of his fellow students. If you liked Spellbound or Murderball, you will love this.

Every once in a while a film comes along that makes you want to forgot about everything else and change the world. BLINDSIGHT is one of these films! Blindsight is a gripping adventure of six blind Tibetan teenagers who set out to climb the 23,000 ft mountain right next to Mount Everest. The teenagers are brought together by Sabriye Tenberken, who opened a school for the blind in Tibet. She and her students with the help of Erik Weihenmayer (the first blind person to summit Everest) set out to prove that they are no less able than their seeing counterparts.This film captures both the arguments of the climbers as well as their frustrations, despair and exhilaration towards the end.Blindsight is a must see for everyone! Visually it is riveting and the landscape is nothing short of breathtaking. When I saw this film in Toronto it was a really moving experience and one that I would recommend to everyone. Well done to those involved!!!

"Not sure about this" that is the feeling I get after seeing this documentary. The film follows the mountaineering trip of 6 blind Tibetian kids, from a school ran by a German girl of similar handicap. The trip was inspired by an American who also lost his sight but conquered Everest. The film also provided some background of the 6 kids and the stigma attached to the blind in that region of the world.The reason of the "Not so sure" feeling stems from seeing the total unorganized efforts from the adults, the lack of establishing a common goal BEFORE the trip. Sure there is a time line, there is limited resources, ..etc. But physical and mental goals should be the first thing in planning.This eventually led to conflicts, and even possible endangering the lives of these kids. The kids seem almost pawns in a game of the adults, sighted or not, experience or not. And lastly, personally, I wish the film would have spent more time with the kids.