Blind Spot
by Amanda Zackem
Here is what Howard Zinn said about the film: "BLIND SPOT is a fascinating documentary it draws on some of the most impressive scientific minds to educate us about our role in saving the earth, the water, the air and the lives of our children. I was transfixed by it.”
Dictators weren't the only people in the crosshairs of Woodstock's socially relevant entries. "Blind Spot," an intellectually dense, but utterly gorgeous, look at mankind's dangerous obsession with fossil fuel, blames the whole world for its wastefulness. Although at times overbearingly verbose, Adolfo Doring's astute, thoughtful portrait has enough sweeping visuals to offset the barrage of scientific talking heads. In other words, it makes "An Inconvenient Truth" look like a sitcom.
There’s a lot of environmental films out there that while not painting a
rosy picture still want us to feel a sense of “hey things will still be
ok” not so with Blind Spot. Director Adolfo Doring has, along with many
of the scientists, economists and other experts, wisely decided that
the time for coddling us is past, perhaps even too long past. This
absolutely beautifully shot ode to the end of our world as we have
known it doesn’t even bother to try and convince us. Either you see the
visual beauty of this world, city and country, and want to save it or
you don’t. Either you hear and heed the wisdom of the cadre of experts
he presents or you don’t.
There is no panic in this film just an
absolute and stark reality that we either choose to face or not.
Either
way the film tells us it’s coming and as one environmental advocate
quotes nature as saying (and I paraphrase) either you do it or I will
and if I do it I’ll remove things and most of them will be you. If you
want to actuate change in your life and behaviors then you quickly need
to accept that it will take rigorous honesty, hard work and sacrifice
any less and you don’t get half, you get nothing.
This is the societal
position we have reached in Blind Spot and its all or nothing. It’s the
kind of documentary filmmaking that shows why this genre is so essential
as art form and as a tool for social activism and education. Perhaps it
is the fearless conviction of this film that shows that it’s time to
stop being entertained by our peril and start taking action.
You should
see this film and your public television station should be giving you
access to it. Perhaps you should consider making a call or sending an
email to your local public access channel asking them to show this
important documentary. You aren’t going to like the message but, as the
film conveys, its way past time so sit down and listen.
- Times Union.com Oct 2008 |
