FILM REVIEW: “Blindsight”

From Willamette Week, 4/16/08:

The world needs another story about Mount Everest like Wilt Chamberlain needed another sex partner in the ’70s. But if you thought everything about the planet’s tallest mound o’ powder has been said and done, Lucy Walker’s documentary Blindsight offers a strong, fresh and inspiring narrative. A group of blind Tibetan teenagers set out to climb Lhakpa Ri, a 23,000-foot sister peak in the Himalayas, under the guidance of blind mountaineer Erik Weihenmayer (who made headlines in 2001 when he became the first blind person to summit Everest). Without pandering to sentiment, the film skillfully follows the challenges faced and relationships formed on the kids’ entirely impressive journey. Be sure to stay for the credits—Blindsight has a great live cover of the Turtles’ “Happy Together.” LANCE KRAMER