A Film by Ayodhya Kumar Krishnamsetty

Director’s voice.

When I decided to make this film, I made extensive research on the visually impaired individuals learning about camera and films. I had the privilege to meet some of the experts and students of Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, to develop a method of teaching television production to the blind. I also had an opportunity to personally interview the students to learn about their work. Apart from that I spoke to some of the visually challenged film directors and shared their personal experiences. Apart from my global research, I visited some of the institutions in India, imparting education to the visually impaired. It was heartening and an indelible experience of my life. I can never forget the excitement and the spark in the eyes of those children when I told them that they can be trained and groomed to make movies. Those children have become my pillars of strength. Working with the visually challenged is amazing and their performance is astounding. My only ambition is to make a difference in their lives.

Numerous thoughts made their way into my mind such as “How could the visually impaired visualize a scene?”. Like Helen Keller said “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be held within the heart”. Had Helen Keller not fought her way through her impairment to a higher education and freedom, many of them following her might not have had the courage to stand up for their freedom and independence. Had louis Braille not spent years developing the braille system, reading would still be a long and tedious chore for the blind. Invention is a creative process, I want them to invent a new film grammar to make their own film and in this journey, I invented my own creative process as a film maker.