Climbing Blind tells the riveting and incredible story of blind rock climber Jesse Dufton as he attempts to become the first-ever blind person to lead a climb of the Old Man of Hoy, a towering vertical sandstone stack off the coast of Scotland.
Climbing Blind is the multi-award-winning documentary covering the incredible story of the first blind lead climb of the Old Man of Hoy. Jesse Dufton was born with 20 percent central vision. At four years of age, Jesse was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare genetic disease that breaks down the retinas’ cells. At age 20, Jesse could no longer read, and by the time he was 30, his vision was reduced to just light perception with around 1 or 2 percent field of view.
As a lifelong climber, Jesse flies in the face of adversity, training for world cup events and leading traditional rock climbs with his sight guide and wife, Molly. As his sight degenerates, his climbing continues to make remarkable progress.
Despite his devastating condition, Jesse only takes on bigger challenges by attempting to be the first blind person to make a “non-sight” lead of the iconic Old Man of Hoy sea stack in Scotland.
Alastair Lee
Alastair Lee is a director and cameraman specializing in the outdoor world with 20 years in the industry. He is a veteran of expeditions to the likes of Baffin Island, the Venezuelan jungle and Antarctica. Producing award-winning films and TV commercials with stunning photography has made him one of the leading forces in his industry and has earned him over 100 international awards.
Welcome to the Scientology Network Documentary Showcase
Fundamental to Scientology is a humanitarian mission of extraordinary scope, now extending to some 200 nations. Included therein are programs for human rights, human decency, literacy, morality, drug prevention and disaster relief.
For this reason, the Scientology Network provides a platform for Independent filmmakers who embrace a vision of building a better world.