At age five, Matt Formston was diagnosed with Macular Dystrophy, an eye condition that causes severe vision loss. His limitation has only pushed him to go bolder and pursue various sports throughout his adult life.
Matt is now a surfer, the focus of Daniel Fenech’s documentary “The Blind Sea”, and his next challenge is to chase the biggest wave of his life in the dangerous waters of Nazaré in Portugal. Doing such activity can permanently impair Matt’s eyes and potentially lead to complete blindness. But why does he eagerly continue to push this?
The documentary touches on multiple phases of Matt Formston’s life and while his dedication is inspiring, he is surrounded by people who don’t have anything to say but believe in him. This positivity, transcended in one-on-one interviews with Matt, workmates, and surfing colleagues, is infectious.
Not a second do you feel anxious about Matt failing his surfing challenge. It’s the kind of daredevil story where the payoff is expected, and you just enjoy the process to get there.
To document this climactic expedition in Nazaré, director Fenech laid out impressive footage of the entire thing. Even without the context of its backstory, seeing this documentary is already worth it for that scene alone.
If you’re looking for a heartwarming and harmless sports documentary, “The Blind Sea” is a great pick. The film will be shown in NZ cinemas on September 12.
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