BRAILLE

Eugene Sannikov

The documentary, truly international in scope, combines several multicultural stories dedicated to the triumph of the human spirit. It tells remarkable, dramatic and engaging real life stories of blind kids endowed with versatile gifts who strive to fulfill their dreams and blind successful professionals who have already achieved great heights. Through a perspective of the unique characters from all the continents the bigger theme will be reflected: creation of a tactile writing system by Frenchman Louis Braille and the legacy he left behind. His invaluable contribution allows the blind to read and write literature and music, to travel, to work in jobs once reserved for sighted people, to communicate and express themselves. Almost two centuries after its invention, what started out as the imaginings of a 12-year old boy remains a system of powerful and enduring utility. Despite braille being used in more than 140 countries, and being adapted to more than 130 languages, many are unaware of its troubled beginnings and the role Louis Braille played in creating it, fighting for it, and devoting his life to realizing it as a way to empower blind people around the world. By using parallel storylines we will present multiple protagonists with visual impairment, who chase their dreams and inspire others to achieve the full potential through their own incredible feats. Extraordinary blind people of various occupations and blind children with different exceptional abilities from Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America overcome seemingly impossible challenges. They strive to make their own contribution to the world, the same way as Louis Braille, who against insurmountable odds succeeded in creating a new writing system. With 39 million blind people worldwide, and a further 246 million suffering from visual impairment, braille plays today an indispensable part in society – and its markings are becoming even more commonplace. Louis Braille's creation changed the fates of millions, gave to many possibility to make their own great accomplishments and be themselves an inspiration to others across the globe. The most excited aspect of this project is a potential creative use of CGI that will convey the story in a powerful way. Using innovative animation and techniques, this documentary will reveal the fascinating world of Braille's new tactile language, visualize characters' realm of imagination, their creative ideas and fantasies, give a unique perspective on the universe and our other senses – vivid imagery forming from touch, smell, sounds and music vibrations. Our distinctive visualizations will engage the audience, make it "see the world through the eyes" of people with visual impairments, interact with another reality, another dimension.