Blink

Like all parents, Edith Lemay and Sebastien Pelletier want to give their kids Mia, age eleven, nine-year-old Leo, Colin, age six and four-year-old Laurent the entire world. Leo is the imaginative one. Mia acts like a second mother. Colin is, they say 'a little weird'. And Laurent is their 'little philosopher'.

But unlike most kids, the world of three of the four will eventually be reduced to a small visual field, if not total darkness. Mia, Colin and Laurent have all be diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa. There is no cure. The cells in their retinas are slowly dying so only the center will remain, should they have any vision at all.

The family, who call Montreal home, are learning to cope with what will certainly be a challenging future. They have been preparing the kids to deal with their fates. Now, you may think that Blink, the documentary feature about the Pelletier family, sounds bleak. But it is nothing of the sort, because instead of letting grief overwhelm them, Edith and Sebastien have chosen to fill their children's visual memory banks with images of the world. In that way, they hope they'll recollect what things look like when their world goes dark.

They begin the process by having their kids make a bucket list of wishes, which becomes the backbone of an adventure that takes them around the globe. And, in Blink, we join them on their beautiful journey. Obviously, almost no one would be able to afford an extended trip like this. Sebastian was fortunate in that his company was sold, enabling the family to begin their year of being nomads.

First up on the bucket list: a safari. Then, travel on a sleeper train, eat ice cream, ride horses in Mongolia. Learn how to surf. All the while, banking memories they will be able to smell, hear and see with their mind's eye, when their eyesight fails. Already, two of the kids are unable to see in the dark - they cannot even see the stars.

On a $200/day budget, they and the filmmakers lived among locals in hostels, homestays and campgrounds. They traveled by public bus and train. They hiked the Himalayas with guides, swam in roiling rivers, got lost, got stuck in cable cars. It wasn't perfect, but that's not what the family wanted. The film is told, not from a Fodor's guide to travel, but matter-of-factly from a child's guide to our big blue marble.

Rather than high-end cuisine, we're exploring ant hills and street food. A bite of a frozen candy bar sometimes is all that's needed to put a smile on a tear-streaked face. Edith, all the while prepping her kids for what a future without sight will be like, while encouraging them to continue living, and fight against the dying of the light.

An official selection of numerous worldwide film festivals, Blink is currently available for streaming on NatGeo, Hulu and Disney+.

Wonderful family movie of wonders of traveling highs ans lows with family of young children real warm and courageous family. It brought back memories from my childhood of traveling with my family of eight. The different views of the different ages of children. Amazing parents and such love and compassion and understanding of parents. Truly a film worth watching. Having the love in this family and the preparedness of what's to come even when no one can ever really be prepared of such hardship of having four children and having three of them fall to the hereditary disorder of a genetic disorder. Missing to say if parents have the disorder only that no one in the family has this just these three children. Worth the time.

I'm not sure if it was way the family was portrayed, or the lack of actual scenic footage, this movie did not appeal to me.

We learn about a family and that 3 of 4 children has a degenerative vision disease that will eventually rob them of their eyesight, so the parents decide to go on a journey around the world so the kids can enjoy everything in person, rather than looking at it in a book.

While the concept of this movie is appealing, the execution wasn't so great. The trailer made you expect spectacular scenery throughout, but instead we are mainly watching the kids and parents talking and playing. It essentially comes across as a home movie rather than a National Geographic production. A lot of the places they apparently visited, are glossed over, not even shown in photos.

I want to wish the family well, and I hope the proceeds of this film go towards the research for a cure, but definitely this was more suited to the small screen like on the TLC channel, than in a movie theatre.

This is undeniably one of the most poignant and heart-touching documentaries of the year. It confronts a deeply emotional and universal truth: one day, parents may discover something unexpected in their children-a diagnosis that feels more devastating than facing their own mortality. The thought of your most precious loved one enduring a debilitating condition is one of life's most challenging tests.

For those who are not parents, it may be difficult to fully grasp the emotional depth of such a situation, and their inability to empathize might explain why some may underrate this documentary. But as someone who recognizes the profound courage it takes to navigate such trials, I see this film as a beacon of resilience and hope.

The Pelletier family, faced with an unimaginable reality and no available treatment, chose to channel their energy into creating this documentary. It's their way of doing the only thing they can-raising awareness and inspiring others in similar circumstances. Such films are more than just stories; they serve as a source of hope, a testament to human strength, and a guide for standing tall in the face of adversity.

Thank you, Pelletier family, for your bravery in sharing your journey with the world. This documentary will undoubtedly light the way for others who find themselves in similar situations. To those leaving harsh or dismissive comments: your negativity reflects more about your own struggles than the value of this incredible work. Let's focus on the strength, hope, and compassion this documentary represents.

I feel privileged to have traveled through the adventures, with this incredibly brave family!

I found the film to be awe inspiring and an emotional roaler coaster of terrifying travels to dlightful simple joys to watch, as they fulfilled each of their childens dreams.

As a parent and grandparent my heart aches for the children, as the must navigate the unknown, yet their parents have set them up in the most extraordinary way possible for their life challenges as they age and grow.

I highly recommend viewing it with your children aged 8 or above to open conversation on the complexities of life.