The documentary film The End of Blindnesstells the true story of Samuel Bora, the only ophthalmologist for 3 million people in rural Ethiopia. With more than 4 million cases of visual impairment, Ethiopia has one of the highest rates of blindness in Africa. Performing up to 60 free cataract surgeries a day, Bora is committed to this incredible task. In the operating room, lives are forever changed — from children with traumatic cataracts to a blind mother who had never seen her son.
The award-winning documentary is directed by AJ Martinson, Adventist filmmaker and member of Vallejo Drive Seventh-day Adventist Church in Glendale, California, United States. Martinson’s goal is to “tell honest, impactful, and emotional stories that inspire others to make a positive impact on the world around them.”
The End of Blindness poster. [Photo: Tropical Health Alliance Foundation]
“Critics have been calling this movie ‘a film for our time’ [Debbie Lynn Elias, Behind the Lens], and I think that sums up my hopes for how people will view this movie,” Martinson shared. “The last few years have left us all in need of positive and uplifting stories of human kindness and compassion that can help restore our faith in humanity and show us how good people can be when they operate at their very best.”
Bora examines Lalise, a 23-year-old mother who was blind and had never seen her 4-month-old infant. [Photo: Tropical Health Alliance Foundation]
The original version of this story was posted by the Southern California Conference.