The documentary, “Blink”, was filmed by National Geographic and released on October 24th, 2024 on Disney+. I was recently able to watch it with my mom over winter break, and we loved it. A family of 6 from Montreal, Canada found out heartbreaking news: three out of the four children have retinitis pigmentosa. Retinitis pigmentosa is a rare and incurable condition that will cause Mia (age 11), Colin (age 6), and Laurent (age 4) to eventually go blind.
The documentary starts off by introducing us to the family, showing what the kids are like, and even taking the film crew along to their doctor appointments. From the beginning, viewers feel an instant connection to these kids who, later in life, will lose their eyesight.
Their parents, Edith Lemay and Sébastien Pelletier, are told that there is no cure, but getting them to see as much as they can before they go blind will leave them with a great visual memory and significantly help when they eventually do go blind. With this information, the parents decide to go on a year-long trip around the world. This trip takes over 15 months, beginning in March of 2022. Before leaving, the kids create a bucket list of activities such as going on a hot air balloon ride, surfing, swimming with dolphins, drinking juice while riding a camel, and much more. They visit a total of 20 countries, including China, Cambodia, South Korea, Egypt, Nepal, Zimbabwe, and Ecuador. In each country they visit, they live within the community, displaying and educating the audience on the unique and lively culture of each country. Though each memory they create is irreplaceable, each is also drastically different. For instance, after a week-long hike in Nepal to see the Poon Hill viewpoint, they later go horseback riding in Mongolia.
When my mom and I watched this documentary together, we both felt so emotionally moved by the family’s story. The film allows the viewer to build a connection with the family who isn’t traveling the world for fun, but for their children to create visual memories that they will carry with them even after their sight is gone.
In addition to the moving story, this documentary provides amazing scenery from places around the world, and an underlying message to take nothing for granted. Viewers get a deeper understanding of why it is so important to live in the moment and soak up all your memories. We have a tendency to take the little things for granted, and this documentary is a reminder of how important it is to enjoy the little things because, in the blink of an eye, your life or a loved one’s could change.
I recommend the documentary Blink and give it four out of five stars.
You can watch Blink on Hulu, Disney+, or YouTube TV. (Family-friendly)
