Mumbai: In a world where time is a precious gift, BLINK tells an unforgettable story of a family racing against time to create lifelong memories before three of their four children lose their eyesight to a rare genetic disorder – retinitis pigmentosa. Recently premiered at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), this 84-minute heartwarming documentary is now all set to premiere on National Geographic Channel and captivate Indian audience on Sunday, 5 January 2025 at 10 PM.
Directed by Edmund Stenson and Oscar® and BAFTA award-winner Daniel Roher, this award-winning documentary follows the family of six through their dream destinations to fuel their visual memory with the beautiful world, turning their children’s bucket list dreams into reality. BLINK features French Canadian couple Edith Lemay and Sébastien Pelletier and their children, Mia, Léo, Colin and Laurent. Mia developed eye problems at the age of 3 and was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at age 7, a rare, incurable disease that leads to severe visual impairment. When her younger brothers Colin and Laurent received the same diagnosis, the family’s world changed forever. In the face of this life-altering news, they decided to set out on a journey around the world to build their visual memory and experience all its beauty while they still can.
Spanning 24 countries over 12 months, the film captures awe-inspiring moments of pure joy – starting with a safari in Namibia to trying Turkish ice cream, riding horses in Mongolia, surfing in Indonesia, and sipping juice on a camel. The family’s adventures also include watching a desert sunset, sunrise on a mountain, and making friends in the countries they visit. Their destinations included Botswana, Cambodia, Canada (Montreal and Kuujjuaq), China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Laos, Namibia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, South Korea, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States (New York City), Zambia and Zimbabwe. Throughout their journey, the family’s love, resilience, and unshakeable sense of wonder ensure that their uncertain future does not define their present.
The film had its world premiere at the 51st edition of the Telluride Film Festival. Since then, it has been screened across the world including Camden International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, Hamptons International Film Festival, and London Film Festival, among others. In India, the film was screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Goa last November.
“We were so happy to see how BLINK resonated with the audiences of all ages, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with National Geographic. There’s no better home for this film, and we like to imagine that families across the world will huddle around their screens laugh, cry and explore the world with the endlessly inspiring Lemay-Pelletier family,”said directors Stenson and Roher.
“BLINK is the perfect family-friendly film and embodies the spirit of adventure and exploration at the heart of the National Geographic brand. We can’t wait for audiences everywhere to be inspired by the remarkable Pelletier family as they journey around the world and into an unknown future,” said Carolyn Bernstein, executive vice president of Documentary Films for National Geographic.
BLINK premieres on 5 January at 10 PM on the National Geographic Channel in India.
-Based on Press Release
