Lucy Walker discusses ‘Blindsight’

British filmmaker Lucy Walker follows an expedition of climbers as they take on Everest’s sister mountain, Lhapka Ri. Only the climbers are young pupils from a Tibetan school for the blind. The film explores their remarkable journeys both in life and up the 23,000-foot mountain

Both ‘Blindsight’ and your 2002 documentary ‘Devil’s Playground’ look at the lives of young people from remote cultures. What draws you to young people as a subject?
‘With young people I think sometimes it can be really real but also really dramatic. There’s no faking anything: young people are really direct and frank. You can’t get away with anything. If they don’t want you around, they’re not going to have you around; they really keep you on your toes! But at the same time it can be dramatic; there’s a lot of change happening and they can be really vulnerable and very open, which is very exciting, but also very dangerous.’

‘Blindsight’ looked like a very dangerous film to make. What were the biggest challenges?
‘It was just one big challenge after another. It was a challenge festival! You are in this place you’ve never been before, with a bunch of people you don’t know very well, one of whom might have a stomach ache, and another is worried about their ingrown toenail. All the while, you’re just trying to sort of think: Okay, should I film this and what angle should I film it from? Also, there was the altitude, which was extremely intense. You have this pounding headache, and you can’t think straight. You can’t sleep and you can’t eat and you really are having trouble just putting one foot in front of the other. The ground is so uneven and not to mention steep, but you’re looking over at these blind kids and you’re thinking, how are they managing to do this?

Your film is very non-judgemental.
‘I think the thing that’s wonderful about documentary, it’s sort of like a meditation and the truth will bubble up if you let it. Even if you’re not looking for it, the truth will grab you and force you to pay attention. It’s really interesting to discuss the cultural differences and how much we value achievement and how much we value togetherness.’

Why did you choose to film it in this way and what was your process for the cinematography?
‘I knew I wanted it to look beautiful. I try and tell stories using images and use shots that look like beautiful photographs that. I love the kind of films that are a bit more soulful, a bit more lyrical. I’ve just been shooting my current project in 111 degrees with just a small crew, and often I think: Are we crazy? Why are we walking five extra minutes or working another extra hour just to try and find the shot that’s just a little bit more visual, a little bit more stunning? In "Blindsight" the mountains were a real gift. I just loved playing with composition and scale.'

The film also puts a lot of emphasis on non-visual senses such as touch and sound.
‘When watching the film I think that you are really aware of different senses and it was great getting to know these amazing blind people and how they interact with the world. I found out some really surprising things about the sounds and the textures that they enjoyed. The most surprising thing I learnt was that blind people also enjoy movies – because you associate movies with visuals. Something we’ve actually got for "Blindsight" is an audio description track, which enhances the film experience for visually impaired people by filling them in on some of the stuff that isn’t obvious from the soundtrack. The ICA has installed one, which is very exciting, and also there’s one on the DVD.'

Did you ever consider trying to use film to simulate blindness?
‘I had this idea of book-ending the film with a blank screen, which is a little bit of a gag. I really like it because its just a fun way of getting everyone to think what it might be like to climb a mountain when you can’t see it, because so many people think the view is the best part. I wanted to approach it that way. I have always been fascinated with different ways of seeing. We could have done more with how the kids see differently; some of them have very unique ways of experiencing things, for example, some visually impaired people will see certain bits of light in a certain way. But I didn’t want to do the "out of focus" thing or anything corny like that in case I got it completely wrong.’

'Blindsight' is out now.

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