About this Short Film
Sight Unseen, by James Chan (Australia, 2025), offers a subtle, sensory-led portrait of blindness and collective experience. Through its focus on music and group interaction the film invites viewers to reconsider assumptions about sight and sound. Without prescribing a single narrative it attends to ways people with sensory disability navigate, communicate and create together. The camera and sound design emphasise listening as much as looking, so moments of rhythm and silence feel vivid. Presented in Focus on Ability, Sight Unseen sits comfortably alongside films that highlight capability, resilience and creativity. It is a quiet, attentive work that rewards careful watching and listening.
Film Details
Film Transcript
Seriously, your music tells a story without a single word.
Thanks, you too. I hope the piano was in tune. I threatened to write a revenge letter to your bosses.
So, Joe, when did you first fall in love with music?
I was five. My mum gave me a toy keyboard. I started playing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" until the batteries died. I hope maybe she took them out for her own sanity.
And when did you start composing your own stuff?
Around eight. I couldn't read sheet music, so I made up my own. Turns out if you can't see the rules, you're free to break them.
And how do you approach improvisation? I mean, I can see you're a master at it, but, um, like, what's your approach there?
It's like a conversation. Sometimes you speak, sometimes you listen. Sometimes I argue with B‑flats. Let me show you.
Do you ever wish you could see the audience?
Not really. I feel them — every cough, every held breath. Besides, if I could see, I would probably trip over my own shoes on stage.
What's the hardest part of being a visually impaired musician?
Finding the piano to the right.
But truly, it's about convincing people that music is not on the page. It's about what you feel and what you can imagine.
Is there a piece that means the most to you?
Yes. I wrote a piece called "Dawn" after I lost my sight completely. Do you want to hear?
Absolutely.
That was beautiful, Joe. It really was. What do you hope people take away from your music?
Limitations are just starting points. We all have something that makes life tricky. But sometimes the things you can't do show you what you can.
Any advice for young musicians?
Play wrong notes, get lost, improvise. If you fall off the bench, just make it part of the show.
Thanks, Joe, for your time, your music and your courage.
Yeah. And for showing us all how to listen with more than just our eyes.
Thank you both. Now, our little jam. Mike, you sing. Lyla, your ukulele, our little piano.
"Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see."
Filmmaker
James Chan is the filmmaker behind this entry. See every Focus on Ability entry from James Chan.
