Big Bear Lake, CA, September 17, 2013 — George Adams, a multi-award-winning filmmaker, opens his latest documentary at one of the top-rated film festivals in the country, the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival (BBLIFF). See the trailer here.
For Touche: A Blind Fencer’s Story, Adams spent 18 months documenting a single mother in her mid-thirties, Catherine Bolton, who recently lost her eyesight and is learning to live with blindness. The film chronicles the difficulty she and her teenage daughter have as they overcome life’s obstacles. Bolton does persevere as the Olympic sport of fencing helps her gain the much needed self-assurance to cope with her struggles.
Following Bolton and four other low/no vision fencers, Adams said it had a profound affect. “I think those of us who can see are deathly afraid of losing the use of our sight. But after spending so much time with this group of people with low and/or no vision… if I were to lose my sight, I would hope, I have as much confidence to embrace life as they do.”
Fencing can be a daunting sport for a sighted person, yet the abilities needed are extremely important to a person without sight. The sport requires thick protective jackets, masks, gloves and uses swords. “And yet,” Adams says, “this group is empowered! They can pick up an epee, challenge a sighted fencer, and win! That’s a huge confidence builder.”
Adams has submitted to various festivals in hopes to screen the film to audiences here in the U.S. and internationally. There is currently interest to screen the film in Italy and Uruguay. Adams would like to travel the world to share the attributes of fencing for the low/no vision community. For now, he is delighted to premier in Big Bear Lake: 10:30AM, September 20th at Village North Cinemas.
