BLINDSIGHT

What types of cultural diversity are present in the movie?                                      Erik, the blind American mountaineer volunteers to guide blind children up Everest. The German woman sets up a school for the blind in Tibet. They are from western cultures, based on Christianity; further to this the traditional Tibetan culture is based on Buddhism. The traditional Tibetan view that blindness is a form of divine punishment for sins committed in a previous life or incarnation, as opposed to the western desire to overcome disability, to achieve, to get to the top. The support that Erik received from his father when learning to hike, as opposed to the Tibetan woman who said ‘without eyes a man is not complete.

What are some of the challenges in the movie encounter?

Blindness is divine punishment for sins committed in a previous life (re-incarnation). Also they were climbing the highest mountain in the world. They face the physical challenge of lack of oxygen at high altitude. The blind children have the additional challenge of performing an extreme feat blind. The blind girl with 2 blind brothers and a blind father, whose mother died of a heart attack, leaving her daughter with no effective support. Erik was losing both his sight and his mother at an early age.

What are some examples of stereotyping, prejudice, bias and /or discrimination in the movie?

Tashi hid the fact that he was Chinese, believing only Tibetan children could join the expedition. The boy was sent away to live with a Chinese couple who beat him when he failed to beg enough money, or when the money was stolen from him.

What challenges do people face as result of personality rather than culture?

The Chinese couple are beating blind beggar. The cigarette burns on Tashi’s body.

What benefits are there for the people in the movie as a result of their differing cultures?

Tashi finds his father and would almost certainly not have done so without  help.The Tibetan girl gets a place in an English language school as a result of coming into contact with western culture.