Blindness


2h 2008

Brief Synopsis

It begins in a flash, as one man is instantaneously struck blind while driving home from work, his whole world suddenly turned to an eerie, milky haze. One by one, each person he encounters--his wife, his doctor, even the seemingly good Samaritan who gives him a lift home--will in due course suffer the same unsettling fate. As the contagion spreads, and panic and paranoia set in across the city, the newly blind victims of the "White Sickness" are rounded up and quarantined within a crumbling, abandoned mental asylum, where all semblance of ordinary life begins to break down. But inside the quarantined hospital, there is one secret eyewitness: one woman who has not been affected but has pretended she is blind in order to stay beside her beloved husband. Armed with increasing courage and the will to survive, she will lead a makeshift family of seven people on a journey, through horror and love, depravity and beauty, warfare and wonder, to break out of the hospital and into the devastated city where they may be the only hope left.

Film Details

Also Known As
Cegueira, Ensaio Sobre A Cegueira
MPAA Rating
Genre
Adaptation
Drama
Foreign
Thriller
Release Date
2008
Production Company
1927 Audio; Alamo Sound Studios; Arte & Magia; Ascot Elite Entertainment Group; Banco Nacional; Bank Of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ufj, Ltd.; Barcelona Filmes; Bee Vine Pictures; Blue Sky (Czech Republic); Cherto & Carvalhaes Advogados; Cinecidade; Cinema Sound; Cm Entertainment; Eastern Script Service, Inc.; Eastman Kodak; El Camino; Empire (Romania); Enterprise Rent-A-Car; Entertainment Partners; Estudio Acustico; Estudios Mega; Film Finances, Inc.; Fintage House; Focus Features; Focus Features; Focus Features; Focused On Food; Fujifilm; Fulstandia; Goldcrest; Goldcrest Post Production; Jones Brown Inc; Kodak; Long Shong Group; Megacolor; Metropolis Post; Mixone Studios; Movie Central; Moving Track; Musitelli Camara & Luces; Northern Signals Inc.; O2 Filmes; Para Movimentos; Performance Solutions; Polaris Star Suites Inc.; Portaro Advogados Associados; Ps Production Services; Ps Production Services Ltd; Quanta; RCV Distribution; Rancho Relaxo; Rec Studio; Rhombus Media, Inc.; Sandrew Metronome Distribution Sverige Ab (Sweden); Shaw Organization; Shuttle Freight Logistics; Soundtrack Group; TTlTfilm Canada; Tattersall Sound & Picture; Technicolor; Technicolor Digital Intermediates; Tellavision; Vox Mundi; Yazbek
Distribution Company
MIRAMAX; 20th Century Fox International; Acme Film; Best Film; Budapest Film; Clmc Multimedia Sa; Empire; Filmladen Gmbh; Gaga Communications (Parent); Intercom; Italia Films; Kinepolis Film Distribution; MIRAMAX; Mikado Film; Miramax Home Entertainment; Odeon S.A.; PathT International; Sandrew Metronome Filmdistribution As; Sidus Fnh; Ster-Kinekor; StudioCanal; Studiocanal; Tiglon A.S.; Vertice Cine; Village Roadshow Limited
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Sao Paolo, Brazil

Technical Specs

Duration
2h

Synopsis

It begins in a flash, as one man is instantaneously struck blind while driving home from work, his whole world suddenly turned to an eerie, milky haze. One by one, each person he encounters--his wife, his doctor, even the seemingly good Samaritan who gives him a lift home--will in due course suffer the same unsettling fate. As the contagion spreads, and panic and paranoia set in across the city, the newly blind victims of the "White Sickness" are rounded up and quarantined within a crumbling, abandoned mental asylum, where all semblance of ordinary life begins to break down. But inside the quarantined hospital, there is one secret eyewitness: one woman who has not been affected but has pretended she is blind in order to stay beside her beloved husband. Armed with increasing courage and the will to survive, she will lead a makeshift family of seven people on a journey, through horror and love, depravity and beauty, warfare and wonder, to break out of the hospital and into the devastated city where they may be the only hope left.

Crew

Katie Abbott

Craft Service

Paulo Abel

Location Manager

Cristina Abi

Production Coordinator

Gerardo Gonzalez Aguirres

Assistant Camera

Paulo De Tarso Akamine

Foley Artist

Micaela Alaniz

Production Assistant

Ilona Alfaro

Wardrobe

Julie Allain-launay

Art Assistant

Eliseo Alvarez

Unit Production Manager

Simone Alves

Rerecording Assistant

Valentina Rodriguez Amado

Wardrobe Assistant

Lisa Amaral-wright

Props Assistant

Jose Adolpho Amarante

Videotape Operator

Cecilia Amorim Ambrosoni

Art Director

Cynthia Amsden

Unit Publicist

Joao Paulo Andrade

Post-Production Assistant

Renee April

Costume Designer

Claudia Apud

Assistant Art Director

Arrigo Araujo

Production Assistant

Radames Araujo

3-D Artist

Diego Arduino

Transportation Coordinator

Maria Helena Arneiro

Craft Service

Diego Arsuaga

Camera Operator

Mary Arthurs

Property Master

Keisuke Asada

Casting

Eduardo Decio Augusto

Driver

Daniela Antonelli Aun

Production Secretary

Evan Ayotte

Wardrobe

Guilherme Ayrosa

Sound Mixer

Agustin Aznarez

Assistant Director

Gregorio Aznarez

Production Assistant

Nicolas Aznarez

Line Producer

Johann Sebastian Bach

Song

Sybele Badran

Rotoscope Animator

Maria Noel Fernandez Baez

Production Secretary

Mariana Martini Bagarollo

Casting Assistant

Marina Balarin

Stand-In

Martin Santiago Forcella Balbi

Special Effects

Juan Fco Baldomir

Legal Services

Jesse Balzan

Carpenter

Alonso Banales

Carpenter

Kashka Banjoko

Hair Stylist

Kevin Banks

Music Editor

Israel Alves Barbosa

Wardrobe

Reginaldo Barbosa

Assistant

Robeto Baroboskin

Stunt Performer

Alexandre Barros

Music

Klaus Bartram

Assistant Location Manager

Marcello Bartz

Transportation Coordinator

Israel Basso

Grip

Renato Batata

Compositing Supervisor

Andre Batista

Assistant

Lex Batten

Film Lab

Chris Bell

Business Affairs

Marcela Bellini

Assistant

Leslie Bentancor

Dresser

Cesar Javier A Bento

Electrician

Dario Alonso Bento

Gaffer

Elena Berdichevsky

Stand-In

Julio Berkenstein

Pilot

Bel Berlinck

Coproducer

Gael García Bernal

Song Performer

Pablo Berti

Assistant Camera

Zena Bielewicz

Assistant Camera

James Binkley

Stunt Performer

Matt Birman

Stunt Performer

Tiago Bittencourt

Boom Operator

Thiago Vilas Boas

Compositing Supervisor

Ze Bob

Loader

Adam Bocknek

Assistant Director

Patricia Dalla Bona

Assistant

Luiz Bonfa

Song Performer

Sandie Bornstein

Accountant

Gustavo Bouzas

Coach

Deirdre Bowen

Casting

Darren Boyce

Key Grip

Eduardo Braga

Assistant

Geisa Brait

Rotoscope Animator

Fernanda Brenner

Art Assistant

Jonathan Brown

Best Boy Electric

Randy Brown

Generator Operator

Julio Brunerau

Construction Manager

Daniel Buelmo

Assistant Set Decorator

Gal Buitoni

Clearance Coordinator

Fabio Burtin

Assistant Camera

Claudia Bnschel

Associate Producer

Marilia Scharlach Cabral

Assistant Camera

Nicolas Cabrera

Graphics Coordinator

Luis Caires

Assistant

Leandro Calazans

Music

Nelson Calazans

Pilot

Rosalind Callahan

Driver

Paul Cameron

Grip

Maria Macarena Durquet Cammaratto

Dresser

Juan Campomar

Legal Services

Amaro Campos

Best Boy Grip

Aline Canella

Wardrobe

Aruan Canolla

Coach

Shawn Cantelon

On-Set Dresser

Florencia Canton

Makeup Assistant

Felipe Arnaut Cappellini

Production

Pablo Cardoso

Driver

Toti Cardoso

Electrician

Willian C Carlos

Driver

Lea Carlson

Wardrobe

Rafael Carmona

Location Manager

Stephen Carr

Driver

Louis Casado

Color Timer

Gaston Casas

Assistant Location Manager

Alessandra Casolari

Post-Production Supervisor

Rodrigo Castellar

Unit Production Manager

Wilson Castro

Models

Teresa De Jesus Catalani

Dresser

Rossana Brancaccio Cedres

Contact Lenses

Inara Censig

Stand-In

Alejandro Centurion

Grip

Lula Cerri

Assistant Camera

Bengoaivanna Cestau

Assistant

Simon Channing-williams

Executive Producer

Simon Channing-williams

Line Producer

Ctsar Charlone

Dp/Cinematographer

Ctsar Charlone

Director Of Photography

Ctsar Charlone

Camera Operator

Daniel Charlone

Unit Production Manager

Maria Elena Eliash Charlone

Wardrobe Assistant

Penny Charter

Assistant Director

Kevin Cheng

Clearance Coordinator

Cristina Cirne

Art Department Coordinator

Gaston Colominas

Greensman

Cartaz Comunicacao

Unit Publicist

Cris Conceicao

Assistant Camera

Andy Condon

Sound Department

Sue Conley

Adr/Dialogue Editor

Sierra Constantinides

Wardrobe Assistant

Joana Cooper

Assistant Director

Ciaran Copelin

Assistant Camera

Ana Marina Costa

Graphics Coordinator

Claudio Costa

Music

Daniel Costa

Driver

Marcelo Cotrim

Location Manager

Gabriel Couto

Painter

Jose Carlos Couto

Painter

Scott Cowan

Assistant Camera

Rob Crawther

Motion Control

Esli Leal Da Cruz

Finance Manager

Glauco Cruz

Coordinator

Mario Crystal

Adr

Alvaro Cuevas

Best Boy

Sebastian Carlos M Cuevas

Electrician

Carlos Cunha

Driver

Enzo Cunha

Wardrobe

Caue Custodio

Sound Mixer

Marcos Rogerio D. Silva

Grip

Lucio Da Costa

Driver

Wagner Augusto Da Costa

Stunt Performer

Adao A Da Silva

Driver

Ednaldo Da Silva

Driver

Jorge Eduardo Da Silva

Art Assistant

Michel Jorge B. Da Silva

Driver

Andrew Daley

Props Assistant

Bob Davidson

Gaffer

Matthew Davies

Production Designer

Greg Davis

Grip

Nadia Day

Production Coordinator

Pablo Laporte De Armas

Production Assistant

Joshu De Cartier

Art Director

Andrezza De Faria

Unit Production Manager

Ademir C De Jesus

Driver

Cecilia Homem De Mello

Casting

Ricardo De Mello

Best Boy Electric

Ikaro Eduardo De Moraes

Stunt Performer

Davi Brito De Oliveira

Art Assistant

Luiz De Oliveira

Assistant Camera

Pedro Luiz De Santana

Electrician

Drika Castro De Souza

Models

Sebastian Deanes

Grip

Lucas Decina

Music

Tyler Delben

Assistant Director

Ricardo Della Rosa

Photography

Maximiliano Destro

Stand-In

Shaun Dewet

Liaison

Sonya Di Rienzo

Coordinator

Horacio Carlos Silva Di Verio

Loader

Joao Santos Do Amaral

Camera Trainee

William Ivan Do Amaral

Props

Victoria Dobson

Wardrobe Supervisor

Dwight Doerksen

Construction Coordinator

Ed Doerksen

Carpenter

Fernando Ap. Dos Santos

Driver

Marcos Antonio Dos Santos

Pilot

Pat Duchesne

Film Lab

Eduardo Augusto Duque

Assistant Camera

Rolando Duque

Boom Operator

Pedro Arias Duran

Stand-In

Fiorella Durante

Assistant

Natalia Dure

Wardrobe Assistant

Karen Durrant

Wardrobe

Maria Jose Diaz Dutra

Assistant Location Manager

Christian Duurvoort

Coach

Gail Egan

Executive Producer

Film Details

Also Known As
Cegueira, Ensaio Sobre A Cegueira
MPAA Rating
Genre
Adaptation
Drama
Foreign
Thriller
Release Date
2008
Production Company
1927 Audio; Alamo Sound Studios; Arte & Magia; Ascot Elite Entertainment Group; Banco Nacional; Bank Of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ufj, Ltd.; Barcelona Filmes; Bee Vine Pictures; Blue Sky (Czech Republic); Cherto & Carvalhaes Advogados; Cinecidade; Cinema Sound; Cm Entertainment; Eastern Script Service, Inc.; Eastman Kodak; El Camino; Empire (Romania); Enterprise Rent-A-Car; Entertainment Partners; Estudio Acustico; Estudios Mega; Film Finances, Inc.; Fintage House; Focus Features; Focus Features; Focus Features; Focused On Food; Fujifilm; Fulstandia; Goldcrest; Goldcrest Post Production; Jones Brown Inc; Kodak; Long Shong Group; Megacolor; Metropolis Post; Mixone Studios; Movie Central; Moving Track; Musitelli Camara & Luces; Northern Signals Inc.; O2 Filmes; Para Movimentos; Performance Solutions; Polaris Star Suites Inc.; Portaro Advogados Associados; Ps Production Services; Ps Production Services Ltd; Quanta; RCV Distribution; Rancho Relaxo; Rec Studio; Rhombus Media, Inc.; Sandrew Metronome Distribution Sverige Ab (Sweden); Shaw Organization; Shuttle Freight Logistics; Soundtrack Group; TTlTfilm Canada; Tattersall Sound & Picture; Technicolor; Technicolor Digital Intermediates; Tellavision; Vox Mundi; Yazbek
Distribution Company
MIRAMAX; 20th Century Fox International; Acme Film; Best Film; Budapest Film; Clmc Multimedia Sa; Empire; Filmladen Gmbh; Gaga Communications (Parent); Intercom; Italia Films; Kinepolis Film Distribution; MIRAMAX; Mikado Film; Miramax Home Entertainment; Odeon S.A.; PathT International; Sandrew Metronome Filmdistribution As; Sidus Fnh; Ster-Kinekor; StudioCanal; Studiocanal; Tiglon A.S.; Vertice Cine; Village Roadshow Limited
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Sao Paolo, Brazil

Technical Specs

Duration
2h

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States Fall October 3, 2008

Released in United States on Video February 10, 2009

Released in United States 2008

Shown at Vancouver International Film Festival (Galas) September 25-October 10, 2008.

Based on the novel "Ensaio Sobre A Cegueira" by Jose Saramago; published by Harvill Press in 1995.

Project was included on the 2007 Black List.

Released in United States Fall October 3, 2008

Released in United States on Video February 10, 2009

Released in United States 2008 (Shown at Vancouver International Film Festival (Galas) September 25-October 10, 2008.)