Through his exhaustive humanitarian efforts, Dr. Wang has changed the lives of blind children with pioneering medical operations. His journey from a violent oppression during China’s cultural revolution to America’s most celebrated eye surgeon is documented in Sight with a gripping realism that can take your breath away. It is a story of faith, courage and determination overcoming immense challenges. Yet these incredible feats did not save him from heart breaking loss and failings to work wonders for all patients. Because who one handles failure is as important as how they react to success.
The film takes place between two timelines. The opening scene involves rape of an economically disadvantaged girl child in an Indian slum. The next year at the Wang Vision Institute in Nashville, Ming (Terry Chen) and his business partner, Dr Misha Bartnovsky (Greg Kinnear), hold a press briefing to celebrate the return of sight to one of their once blind patients. It’s certainly not Ming’s thing, but Misha insists on doing this so he can get people who will donate easily.
Afterwards, Sister Marie (Fionnula Flanagan) calls out for assistance from Ming and Misha. She tells them about Kajal (Mia SwamiNathan) who is a six-year-old girl recently placed under her order who had deliberately been blinded by sulphuric acid. Other doctors have said her condition was permanent? Would you like us meet Kajal and see what we could do? There are three further flashbacks before this scene ends, first we see when Young Ming (Jayden Zhang) watches his father Zhensheng (Donald Heng) try to save the eyesight of their neighbor whose eyes were damaged while working at a factory then we see him hugging Lili(Sara Ye), his best friend while her dad cries hilariously.
The present-day Ming is entranced upon meeting Kajal, finally.Eyes are far more damaged than expected. He resolves to restore her sight at any cost. Ming and Misha then begin in-depth research. However, it is Ming who the process grips so tightly that it alarms his best friend and confidant, Misha as well. The ghost of Lili haunts Ming’s nights even when he is awake. In a flashback, teenage Ming (Ben Wang) watches on as his doctor parents are accused by Chinese authorities for being intellectuals.
In order to understand why he has such relentless motivation, one needs to know about Ming’s past. Between 1966 and 1976 Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, spread terror across the country among teachers, artists, scientists and doctors alike. Student activists brought about an ideological purging of what they called “capitalist” values.
The teacher of young Ming and Lili is beaten right before their eyes and taken away by force.Why did the government allow this? They had neither anything nor anybody to rely upon within their family but were desperately poor instead,. Why was their knowledge seen as dangerous? At this moment in time his father said that he had better forget about medical school. Now they all had targets on their backs.
Ming’s terrifying years of adolescence put current happenings into stark perspective.Doctor Wang can only see Lili in how Kajal heals herself. During the second act of the movie, we watch him plunge into despair as personal demons take hold of him; Youthful pain still lingers on threatening to destroy everything that he has worked with a lot of effort for. Ben Wang (who will become famous after playing part in Karate Kid) does a really good job acting out these memories as teenage Ming—including a scene where he looks just like Justin Bieber!
On the other hand, Terry Chen ( Almost Famous, The Expanse, and The Lake), a seasoned Hollywood actor with countless credits in movies and TV shows, illustrates Ming’s difficulty in dealing with emotional distress as an adult. In his single-minded pursuit of this goal, the doctor becomes myopic. Nothing else matters until he gets to a point of hopelessness. It is heartrending.
Sight gives a wonderful message about family and friendship. Wars fought alone will never be won. Aiding someone out of darkness does not show faintness; on the contrary it reveals strength. Ming is surrounded by people who love him. His relationship with Misha and his parents confirms that he was once thousands of miles from home to purpose and destiny .Ming begins to understand what all is around him better than before. This takes away the clouds from his research work leading to a discovery that has potential to impact the lives of many.
Director Andrew Hyatt (The Last Light, Full Of Grace) manages Sight’s religious themes without being heavy-handed. It is a subtle faith based film that doesn’t beat you over the head with bible quotes’. The medically realistic Sight spends time showing Ming and Misha as diligent doctors exploring every possible path for Kajal’s treatment. They worked hard for their discoveries while at it. But at no expense to his unwavering beliefs in science does Ming’s Christian faith drive them</. Side by side they exist philosophically, fueling one man with astounding intellect as well as medical prowess.
There are some real tearjerkers in sight – moments that make your eyes pop out of their sockets! Some cynical viewers may consider these scenes cheesy or melodramatic). Don’t be a Grinch! Sight believes in positive thinking and kindnesses towards others’. An innocent child seeing herself for the first time; how can you not be moved?
Open River Entertainment produced Sight alongside Reserve Entertainment. It will be released in theatres on May 24th by Angel Studios.
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