THE STORY – Chronicles a family’s global trip before their children lose vision to a rare genetic disorder, capturing their journey to experience the world’s beauty while they can still see it and preparing for an inevitable future.
THE CAST – Édith Lemay, Sébastien Pelletier, Mia Pelletier, Léo Pelletier, Colin Pelletier & Laurent Pelletier
THE TEAM – Daniel Roher & Edmund Stenson (Directors/Writers)
THE RUNNING TIME – 84 Minutes
There’s a subtle moment toward the middle of “Blink,” something so quick it would be easy to miss. As 11-year-old Mia and her mother Edith admire an Egyptian sunset in the White Desert, Mia cups a hand over her eyes, giving herself tunnel vision. She’s picturing what this gorgeous sunset might look like once she has lost her vision. This fleeting moment doesn’t last more than a few frames, but it’s a heartbreaking reminder of why the Pelletier family have embarked on an expedition across the globe: to give their kids a chance to see the world before their blindness sets in. These intimate moments between the family are what make “Blink” such a powerful documentary.
National Geographic’s documentary “Blink,” directed by Academy Award-winner Daniel Roher (“Navalny“) and Edmund Stenson, may sound like a bland travelogue following a rich family as they traverse the globe in style and privilege. But that’s not at all the real story. In reality, the Pelletiers are a normal, middle-class Canadian family, with parents Edith and Sébastien and four kids between the ages of 11 and 4: Mia, Léo, Colin, and Laurent. The family received some challenging medical news: Mia, Colin, and Laurent have a rare genetic condition, retinitis pigmentosa, that causes vision loss over time. Even at three years old, Mia started showing signs of declining sight. As the family grappled with what this could mean for the future, they had a brilliant idea: take the family on a once-in-a-lifetime trip across the globe to fill their memories with the most incredible sights before they could no longer see them.
This epic adventure may be the story’s hook, but “Blink” finds its greatest impact in showing mundane familial moments. Yes, they learn to surf in Indonesia, ride camels in Egypt, and make friends in Ecuador, but as we follow them across the world, we come to realize they’re just a regular family. The meltdowns and fights you’d find in any average household are still present throughout the journey. Edith also homeschools the kids throughout their expedition, adding a layer of difficulty. These painfully relatable moments help ground the viewers into the “why” of the film: this is a simple family just trying to cope with an uncertain future which inevitably lies ahead.
After the family crafted a bucket list together, filling their plans with goals from swimming with dolphins to sleeping on a train, the filmmakers embarked on this remarkable trip alongside the family. Understandably, the film can’t contain all the incredible moments and locations the Pelletiers visited. But, as the animated map shows viewers the stops along the way we didn’t get to see, it’s hard not to feel like large portions of the story were left on the cutting room floor.
Nevertheless, though the stunning locations frame the family’s experience, the real power of the story comes from the conversations around the children’s impending vision loss. Some of these are presented with shocking frankness, such as when the kids find a group to play soccer in Malaysia one evening. They’re having a wonderful time and making friends, but as the sun begins to set, it gets much more difficult for them to see. The kids have already lost most of their night vision. The parents try not to intervene or cut off their fun, but it’s gut-wrenching to watch Colin struggling to see but desire to keep playing. Elsewhere, Laurent, the youngest, doesn’t understand what it means to be blind, and throughout the trip, he starts to comprehend what awaits him. This is where “Blink” carries the most impact. Amazing trip aside, how does any parent help their child cope with a life-altering diagnosis? How does a parent let go and give their child the tools to care for themselves? “Blink” serves as a serious perspective reset, especially for parents.
After that brief moment in the White Desert, Mia and Edith continue to take in the sunset. Edith asks Mia to close her eyes to feel the world around her without vision. “Without your eyes, can you feel the immensity of this place?” her mom asks. She can; she can feel the wind, the sun, the sand. She says she’ll still want to travel as she gets older, even once her vision is gone. “Blink” allows us to feel, alongside the family, the fear, the hope, the desire, all wrapped up in one simple conversation. It’s the driving force behind what makes “Blink” unforgettable and one of the most emotionally stirring documentaries of the year.