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Oct 9, 2008 6:30 am US/Pacific
New Julianne Moore Movie Causes Controversy
BALTIMORE (CBS) ―
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A new movie in which blindness spreads through a town like a virus is causing controversy in the blind community.
AP
A new movie in which blindness spreads through a town like a virus is causing controversy in the blind community.
"Blindness" has just opened in theaters. Its representation of blind people and the way they behave in the movie has the National Federation of the Blind protesting.
"For people to make money by saying blind people are incompetent and helpless and criminally depraved is outrageous to me," said Chris Danielsen with the National Federation of the Blind.
In the movie, the government believes the blindness is contagious, so they put all the newly blind in an asylum where social and moral standards deteriorate.
"The blind people are portrayed as not even being able to figure out how to get to the bathroom, so they relieve themselves on the floor. Everything is filthy. They can't dress themselves so everyone's wandering around naked," Danielsen said.
Miramax released a statement saying, "We are saddened to learn the National Federation of the Blind plans to protest the film `Blindness.' Miramax Films and filmmaker Fernando Meirelles have worked diligently to preserve the intent and resonance of the acclaimed book by Nobel Prize winning author Jose Saramago that is a courageous parable about the triumph of the human spirit when civilization breaks down."
At the National Federation, they have a store selling technology to help the blind become independent. They say the movie adds to the misconception that blind people can't even put on their own pants.
"Well, I don't want one of those guys as my neighbor or in my workplace or frankly even coming near my place of business," said Mark Riccobono with the National Federation of the Blind.
The National Federation of the Blind says it tried to convince Miramax last year not to make the movie, but didn't succeed.
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