Canadian Premiere
In the wake of a shocking diagnosis that three of their four kids had retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic disease that causes blindness, Edith and Sébastien Pelletier decided to take their family on a whirlwind year of travel, so their children could fill up a visual memory bank of beautiful images around the world before they lost their sight completely. Following a bucket list written by the kids, the Pelletiers embark on a safari in Namibia, horseback riding in Mongolia, surfing in Indonesia, and countless other escapades, all while processing the disease that’s taking their vision.
Working with National Geographic, Oscar-winning directors Daniel Roher and Edmund Stenson (Navalny) capture breathtaking vistas, the far-ranging beauty of planet Earth in a way most of us will never experience first-hand, but also cultivate a powerfully inspirational vision of family and the resiliency of the human spirit. What begins as a childhood fantasia of exotic locales and globe-trotting adventures becomes a bittersweet journey of reflection, self-discovery, and heartwarming family connection.
Media Partner
Edith Lemay, Sébastien Pelletier, Mia Pelletier, Léo Pelletier, Colin Pelletier, Laurent Pelletier
USA/Canada
2024
In French and English with English subtitles
Open to youth!
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Amit Dey, Bob Moore
Producer
Melanie Miller, Diane Becker
Cinematography
Jean-Sébastien Francoeur
Editor
Ryan Mullins, Miranda Yousef
Original Music
Tamar-kali
Edmund Stenson
Edmund Stenson’s work as director, producer, and editor spans documentary and fiction, focusing on social issues, loners, and nomads. He was an associate editor on the BAFTA and Oscar-winning Navalny (2022). His 2018 CBC documentary Finding Fukue went viral with over 14 million views, and The Martyr (2021) won Best Short Doc at Atlanta Shortsfest and FilmQuest. His editing credits include Being Black in Toronto (2020) and Ghosts of Our Forest (2017).
Daniel Roher
Daniel Roher is a Canadian documentary director and producer. His film Once Were Brothers, which explores the legendary Robbie Robertson and The Band, opened the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. In 2022, Roher’s film Navalny, about the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where it won the U.S. Documentary Audience Award. It went on to win Best Documentary Feature at the 95th Academy Awards.
Filmography: Ghosts of Our Forest (2017); Once Were Brothers (2019); Navalny (2022)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
No Other Land
Deemed by many critics one of the essential films of 2024, a multiple festival award winner and Academy Award winner for Best Documentary, No Other Land is a reminder that mass expulsion is by no means a new reality for Palestinians.
Sugarcane
"Deeply impactful", Sugarcane is an important contribution to the ongoing process of Truth & Reconciliation in this country, a compassionate, sensitive account of the investigation into residential school abuse at Williams Lake, BC.
The Way, My Way
All manner of pilgrims flock to France and Spain to walk the 800 km Camino de Santiago. One such is Bill, a stroppy sexagenarian Australian filmmaker who's determined to do the Camino with minimal prep, a dickey leg, and no firm idea why.
The Stand
This rousing doc explores a 1985 dispute over logging in the Haida Gwaii. Taking us from canny retrospective commentary to the thick of the action, director Chris Auchter employs animation and a wealth of archival footage to riveting effect.
There's Still Tomorrow
A critical and box office sensation in Italy, Paola Cortellesi's triumphant directorial debut is the tale of a Roman housewife in 1946, who stands up against the routine sexist abuse she suffers. Funny, heartbreaking and inspiring.
Housewife of the Year
This gently mind-blowing doc revisits the glory days of the long-running Irish TV show Housewife of the Year, where women proudly showed off their capacity to keep multiple kiddies fed and clothed, usually with minimal help from their hubbies.