SXSW has officially kicked off, and with it, a huge amount of high-profile films starring the likes of Seth Rogen, Matthew McConaughey, Charlize Theron, and more will be making their debuts. However, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a film as moving and beautiful as Rodney Evans’ documentary “Vision Portraits.”
And in honor of “Vision Portraits” making its debut at SXSW tomorrow, we’re thrilled to present an exclusive clip from the film, which illuminates just how special the documentary actually is. “Vision Portraits” is a deeply personal look into the life of its filmmaker Rodney Evans, who burst onto the filmmaking scene with his Sundance standout film “Brother to Brother” in 2004. Since then, Evans has been dealing with his loss of vision. “Vision Portraits” uses Evans’ story, as well as the stories of other creative folks with disabilities, to show that you can rise above your perceived limitations to create beautiful art.
The clip we are premiering shows that not only is Evans dealing with the prejudice that comes with being a visually impaired filmmaker, but also the fact that Hollywood makes it more difficult for members of the LGBTQ community and people of color to succeed in the film business. It’s a heartbreaking reality that led Evans to hide his disability, for fear that it would doom his career.
For those in Austin at SXSW, “Vision Portraits” will have its debut March 9.
Here’s the synopsis:
VISION PORTRAITS is a deeply personal documentary by award-winning filmmaker Rodney Evans (Brother to Brother – Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize) as he explores how his loss of vision may impact his creative future, and what it means to be a blind or visually impaired creative artist. It’s a celebration of the possibilities of art created by a Manhattan photographer (John Dugdale), a Bronx-based dancer (East Texas native Kayla Hamilton), a Canadian writer (Ryan Knighton) and the filmmaker himself, who each experience varying degrees of visual impairment. Using archival material alongside new illuminating interviews and observational footage of the artists at work, Evans has created a tantalizing meditation on blindness and creativity, a sensual work that opens our minds to new possibilities.
