Stone Soup Editors

When my mother asked my brother and me to watch the new movie Sight, centered around a Chinese immigrant’s journey, I hesitated. I am usually interested in movies with fast-paced action and adventure, so my expectations of this movie were modest—I anticipated an unremarkable and uninspiring documentary. However, I acquiesced because my mother emphasized the importance of supporting our Asian-American community, especially given the rarity of biography movies featuring an Asian main character protagonist in the United States. Surprisingly, despite the genre not aligning with my taste, I left the theater feeling particularly satisfied. The movie Sight, directed by Andrew Hyatt, weaves the captivating tale of Dr. Ming Wang—growing up in China, who once aspired to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather by becoming a doctor. Unfortunately, an uprising during the Cultural Revolution altered the course of his plan. After the disappearance of his high school crush, Lili, Ming found himself toiling in a shoe factory, yearning for an opportunity to resume his studies. After the Cultural Revolution, his determination and hard work propelled him toward admission to a top-tier university in China. Later, at age 21, with a mere $50 in his pocket, he embarked on a transformative journey to the United States. His academic journey eventually led him to prestigious institutions like MIT and Harvard before he became a world-renowned eye surgeon in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2007, Dr. Wang met Kajal, a young, blind Indian orphan in the care of nuns. She traveled to the United States seeking to restore her vision after surviving unimaginable abuse. Dr. Wang joined forces with Dr. Misha Bartnovsky to develop an invention called “the amniotic membrane contact lens” to restore Kajal’s sight. While Dr. Wang tried to restore Kajal’s eyesight, she also taught him an important lesson: there is more to this world than our eyes can see. The film shifts between Dr. Wang’s past and present as he grapples with haunting memories of the Cultural Revolution and Lili, while pushing the boundaries of the medical frontier. His painful past of a failed promise to protect Lili became a driving force for him to help the hurt and wounded like Kajal and another blind orphan from Moldova, Maria. While Sight was not the action-packed adventure movie I usually enjoy, I found its moments of ingenuity and emotion captivating. Although it can be predictable at times, the film’s touching and dramatic scenes more than compensate for it. I recommend Sight for its moving portrayal of Dr. Wang’s journey and his interactions with young patients. When Kajal’s eye patch was lifted, I waited eagerly in anticipation. Maria’s reaction after her eye patch was removed was profoundly moving, beyond words. Dr. Wang’s resilience in overcoming devastating hardships and failures encourages us to pursue our dreams with tenacity and perseverance. Additionally, the movie sheds light on the remarkable contributions that immigrants like Dr. Wang have made to our country and the world. I encourage you to watch Sight; it promises to be an inspirational and eye-opening experience.