Blind Loves

BLIND LOVES is a charmingly lyrical Slovak documentary that centers on four main characters, all of whom are sightless and all of whom actively pursue happiness. There's Peter, an imaginative music teacher who moves through watery dream worlds but always comes home to his patiently knitting wife; Miro, a dark-skinned Roma, frustrated in his passionate courtship of pale Monika; Elena, deeply joyful in anticipation of the love she will lavish on her unborn child; and teen-aged Zuzana, innocent and poetic, seeking her first love via the Internet. Free from the need to judge others and situations by their appearance, these blind people lead spiritual lives pared down to their essence. Director Juraj Lehotský creates an unsentimental mix of documentary and fiction, which features an unlikely animated sequence reminiscent of Czech surrealist Jan Å vankmajer's. Lehotsky writes, “To find one´s place in this world is not an easy thing to do for people with good sight, but how much more difficult can it get for somebody who is blind? The view of these blind people is pure and essential, and very often witty. It uncovers new dimensions of the meaning of happiness.” (In Slovak with English subtitles) – B.B.