Teaching actors to "play blind"

An article in the Los Angeles Times discusses the filming of the new film, "Blindness," in Brazil. Information about how they are teaching the main actors and 700 extras how to "act blind" concerned me. (I wrote about this film earlier this month on this blog.)

"For the crew and cast, which includes roughly 700 extras, making 'Blindness' was alternately frightening, draining, and exhilarating. That was especially true of training to act 'blind,' says Christian Duurvoort, an actor who coached his colleagues in a series of workshops. Just as important as understanding the physical mechanics of being blind, Duurvoort says, was helping the actors deal with 'the emotional state, the psychological state, being vulnerable.' Meirelles had emphasized that he wanted the extras to seem like desperate, traumatized human beings, not B-movie zombies. Practically everyone working on the film donned a blindfold at some point, even the producers and the director."

All I can say is that I hope that Christian Duurvoort is a blind actor or has been trained by one of the many talented blind actors. Also, I hope the cast includes some blind actors, but I haven't heard that, so I fear it doesn't. Another opportunity lost....