NOTES ON BLINDNESS is a truly extraordinary film that sits some way between documentary and fiction. At surface level this is a film that tells you about a man losing his sight and how it affects his relationships, sense of self and sense of purpose. On another level, it's the story of a loving and supportive marriage. When we meet John Hull he's looks like the caricature of the bearded woolly professor, and so it's not surprising to see him meticulously document his loss of sight - first blurriness at the edges, then just shapes, and finally nothing at all. At first he clings on to wearing his glasses despite the fact that they serve no purpose other than being reassuringly familiar. And he continues to dream lucid vivid visual dreams. He and his wife has children. There are moments of despair and helplessness but also wonderful normal family life. Ultimately, when we see him shed his glasses it's a moment of graduation and acceptance.
