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Vision Portraits

Country: USA | Germany | Canada , Language: English, 78 mins

Gay | Documentary | 2019

Director: Rodney Evans
Writer: Rodney Evans
Producer: Rodney Evans; H. Robert Wunder

CGiii Comment

They don't come much more personal than this...here, the filmmaker becomes one of his own subjects.

Four creative people...all affected by differing degrees of visual impairment, share their stories and their crafts. On paper, this may sound like a maudlin film...it's anything but! This is a celebration of what can be achieved when disability is forbidden to define the person.

This is that indomitable human spirit in all of its flaming glory...the warmth is illuminating, the defiance is inspiring...and, the delicacy of Rodney Evans' direction is judged perfectly. Of course, there are moments of sad reflection...how could there not be!?! Those 'what-ifs' that pervade everyone's live.

Here, there is no dwelling on those 'what-ifs' - this is a forward looking film, even if that future doesn't look 'physically/visually' bright...the brightness comes from within...and it's dazzling and true and felt...by these craftsmen and women with their own inconquerable vision.

Mr Evans...you broke the first rule of documentary film-making...getting too close to the subject...well, all we can say is...break more rules!

A damn fine film.

Trailer...

The(ir) Blurb...

In this deeply personal documentary, he explores what it means to be a blind or visually impaired creative artist. It's a celebration of the possibilities of art created by a photographer (John Dugdale), dancer (Kayla Hamilton), writer (Ryan Knighton) and the filmmaker himself, who each experience varying degrees of visual impairment. Using archive footage alongside new interviews and recordings of the artists at work, Evans has created a tantalising meditation on blindness and creativity, a sensual work that opens our minds to new possibilities.