2009 AFI Dallas Film Festival - The Eyes of Me

(USA, 2008, 71 mins)
HDCam
World Premiere
Directed By: Keith Maitland
Producers: Patrick Floyd, Keith Maitland
Cinematographer: Keith Maitland
Editor: Keith Maitland
Music: Martin Crane, Jared Van Fleet, Bill Baird

Following the lives of four blind teenagers over the course of a school year at the Texas School for the Blind, The Eyes of Me is a thought-provoking look into the day-to-day thoughts, emotions, highs and lows of adolescents who lost their sight at different stages of their childhood.

Four different personalities, each facing their own personal challenges, try to discover who they are and who/what they want to become. From the senior whose life is his music, to the freshman who just wants to fit in, the film that director Keith Maitland presents flows seamlessly from one character to the next, complemented by animation that inspires additional thought.

Honest and sparingly sentimental, the simplicity of this film is compelling and it reinforces the fact that a lack of sight does not equate to a lack of insight.

Information from the festival's website