Directed by Edmund Stenson and Oscar and BAFTA Award-winner Daniel Roher, the documentary Blink follows the Pelletier family on an epic journey to show their children the beauty of the world after they are diagnosed with an incurable genetic eye disease
Blink will debut on National Geographic on December 16 and stream the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
The feature documentary premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival going on to screen at Camden International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, Hamptons International Film Festival and London Film Festival, among others. It was released in over 250 theaters across the U.S. and Canada by Walt Disney Studios in October.
Blink features French Canadian couple Edith Lemay and Sébastien Pelletier and their children, Mia, Léo, Colin and Laurent. Mia developed eye problems at the age of 3 and was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at age 7, a rare, incurable disease that leads to severe visual impairment. When her younger brothers Colin and Laurent received the same diagnosis, the family’s world changed forever. In the face of this life-altering news, they decided to set out on a journey around the world to build their visual memory and experience all its beauty while they still can.
Initially delayed by the global pandemic, the family revised their plans countless times before setting out in March 2022 without an itinerary. They worked together to compile a bucket list of destinations and activities that guided their travels, with no idea too out there: swimming with dolphins, hot air ballooning, surfing, seeing the sunrise on a mountain, and Laurent’s suggestion to drink juice on a camel. “We never found out where this crazy idea came from, but it was very dear to him and made us all laugh,” Lemay said.
The film follows the family over the course of a year as they traverse 24 countries, filling their visual memories with breathtaking locations and once-in-a-lifetime encounters. Their destinations included Botswana, Cambodia, Canada (Montreal and Kuujjuaq), China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Laos, Namibia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, South Korea, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States (New York City), Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Maximizing their ground transportation, the family avoided flying as much as possible. One of their goals was also to meet people by staying in guest houses and homestays rather than hotels wherever possible. Throughout their journey, the family’s love, resilience and unshakeable sense of wonder ensure that their uncertain future does not define their present.
“We were so happy to see how Blink resonated with theatrical audiences of all ages this fall, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with National Geographic to bring it to Disney+ and Hulu,” said directors Stenson and Roher. “There’s no better home for this film, and we like to imagine that families across the world will huddle around their screens this holiday season and laugh, cry and explore the world with the endlessly inspiring Lemay-Pelletier family.”
Blink features Edith Lemay, Sébastien Pelletier, Mia Pelletier, Léo Pelletier, Colin Pelletier, Laurent Pelletier, François Lemay and Pauline Sirois.
Watch the official trailer for Blink