National Geographic’s visually stunning documentary turns tragedy into hope and joy

Blink
is a moving documentary following the extraordinary adventures of one family who turn a devastating diagnosis into something that brings them infinitely closer. As with any National Geographic documentary, the film is full of stunning sights from some of the most dark and beautiful places around the world, but the film’s framing makes every moment feel new. Instead of simply marveling at the beauty of the world, Blink Invites us to step out of our comfort zone and explore everything the world has to offer.

Édith Lemay and Sébastien Pelletier have four young children who, like many others, are noisy, loud, energetic and full of personality. However, three of the four have also been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder that guarantees they will slowly, but surely, lose their ability to see. To fill the children’s memories with all the beauty the world has to offer, Édith and Sébastien take the kids on a round-the-world trip over six months. What they find is so much more than just mountain tops, deserts and safaris, as the family grows closer than ever.

Blink is a story of growth, love and overcoming challenges

While there were several avenues for the powerful documentary, BlinkHis approach is absolutely hopeful and joyful. Yes, the family struggles and there are difficult questions and tough moments, but the film does a fantastic job conveying the emotions, with the prevailing theme being one of growth and love. Even taking a step back from the diagnosis, the thought of backpacking around the world with four young kids seems like an impossible task. Yet, with persistence, it becomes a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

At no point is the diagnosis played out, and it continues to linger, as the family is often drawn into conversations discussing the kids’ futures, but Blink Reveals that life is so much bigger than one sense. This is also beautifully conveyed in a scene at the beginning where the screen is simply black, with the voices of the family superimposed. Yes, sight can be an important way to communicate and manage the surrounding world, but the absence of it does not remove anyone from being connected to it in so many other ways.

Although the journey may have started as an attempt to fill the children’s visual memories, it evolved into something deeper. Through these shared experiences, and the opportunity to travel and embrace the world around them in some incredibly unique and challenging ways, the family changed. The children’s diagnosis has not disappeared, but instead of a bleak, lost darkness, their story feels more like a beginning than an end, with the family ready to face the next chapter.

Blink’s message is a call to action

Although not everyone will experience such dramatic circumstances as the Pelletier family, this documentary inspires and encourages us to seize the day. Most people may not have the means or the ability to go on a six-month trip around the world, but the lessons learned in Blink Discover that meaningful time together, and adventures with family anywhere can provide the same closeness and growth. Rather than sticking to a routine of eating, sleeping, working and playing, breaking the routine can be life-changing.

Blink May not be a typical documentary, and it is not a simple nature documentary, but it incorporates these elements to create a richer, more impactful story. Rather than going into technicalities about illness, or research to try to change things, it offers a concrete way to act now instead of sitting and waiting. For the Peletiers, this meant traveling the world together. That journey may look different to others, but the core emphatic message of Blink Is to finally do something else to better experience the natural world around us.

Blink Now playing in theaters. The film is 84 minutes long and rated PG for thematic elements, some language and brief smoking.