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www.firstsightthemovie.com
Documentary Title and Basics:
Ranjith Kumar is 15 years old. His father recalls a time when he was a good student. Congenital cataracts are causing him to lose his vision. The doctors say the disease is clouding both eyes and surgery is needed. Imagine being there with him, when Ranjith regains "First Sight." There are 45 million people in Southeast Asia living with some form of eye disease: Some with the same affliction as Ranjith. Up to 85% of these cases are curable with simple surgery. One foundation is performing free eye surgeries for those without healthcare. We follow Ranjith and two other children as they undergo treatment.
More About the Documentary's Story And Issues:
The filmmakers visit remote hamlets of India to document the lives of the three child patients. Balaji is already blind in one eye because of a condition called retinal detachment. It’s suspected that relations marriage has caused this affliction in all the boys in the family. Sadly, Balaji is probably the strongest and the most capable. He demonstrates an awareness and a wisdom beyond his years. He knows he’s going blind. With an alcoholic for a father, and a suicidal brother, he and his mother work to support a family of seven.
Bad hygiene and consumption of poorly cooked meat has caused a large wormlike cyst to grow in Anitha's eye. Her parents lament her prospects for marriage.
For all of his fifteen years, nobody noticed that congenital cataracts have eaten away at Ranjith's vision. Once a good student, he’s dropped out of school and become a recluse. We learn that his father married a relative on his mother’s side, giving rise to his condition.
Sankara Eye Care Institutions has been sending battalions of medics to the remote recesses of India since 1972 and extending free eyecare to those in need. The founder explains that he chose eyecare, because he witnessed how simple surgery provided the most palpable difference in the quality of a patient's life.
The mood of the film is reflective, made more prominent by the classical Indian music chosen for the temp track. We plan to start auditioning composers soon to enhance this mood. The movie is all told in natural sound and through slates. The film is told from the doctors' and child patients’ point of view. India becomes a character, by default, through stunning visuals placed in transitional moments. "First Sight" will be a beautiful story that aims to achieve the following:
* Educate and build relationships between NRI’s (Non-resident Indians) and the Sankara Eye Care Institutions
* Provide world wide exposure to the massive problem of eye disease in India
* Provide media and publicity surrounding the Sankara Eye Care Institute’s efforts
Lessons Learned
- This is our first documentary. It was quite ambitious because we were also filming it in another country. Director Joya Dass recommends finding a strong contact in the country that you are shooting in, early! Keep regular communication with that individual until the day you arrive. It's so important to have support and infrastructure on the ground. Arrive a few days BEFORE the entire crew arrives to do a site survey AT the locations you will be shooting. It's important to schedule in days just for breaks. A day off from filming can do wonders and is reflected in the film itself.
