Land of Silence and Darkness

scene from Werner Herzog's documentary about the deaf-blind. Vladimir, a deaf-blind 22 year old, was never taught to walk, eat or communicate properly due to his disabilities. As a way of communicating to himself, he blows raspberries and hits himself with a rubber ball.

For more info on the film, visit http://alsolikelife.com/shooting/?p=16

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• land
• of
• silence
• and
• darkness
• werner
• herzog
• documentary
• deaf
• blind
• vladimir

[blindthief]

There is no excuse for this situation. It shows a lack of competency and care in his parents or guardians. It's very possible for him to be educated. HELEN KELLER was a deafblind who became an author, activist, and lecturer. This young man can't even walk?? It's a tragedy to say the least.

[Crunkydude]

yeah like praying's gonna help him

[irkenequine]

@HabeKeinMitleid He never received an intervener...never received enough stimulation to help his brain continue to develop, to help him find some peace and understanding in his world. His brain was left to rot confusedly inside his own skull. It is not his fault, WE know how to handle deafblind children; there are protocols, languages, and classes. We as a society however, failed this child. Thats what I'm referring to.

[HabeKeinMitleid]

@irkenequine How can technology help congenital defects? We cannot know at this point in time.

[HabeKeinMitleid]

@brookeafer He does.

[irkenequine]

It is a shame with all of the technology and capabilities we have in this world, how this young man was failed so terribly.

[brookeafer]

It looks like he also has down syndrome

[TheLanabanana3]

I just died on the inside

[blindthief]

Technology and advanced programs help but u must understand they are not the most important factors in the development of a disabled person because we're talking about simple motor skills that even a toddler can pick up. I know of parents and a deaf child who found a way to communicate without the aid of schools and professional help. It's really about a strong support system and continuous effort. I'm a paraplegic and I never really needed a therapist to learn how to be independent.

[blindthief]

@wpcp12 Yes, limited walking would be a big accomplishment and something they should be proud of. I don't deem the parents as bad people. I just wish they would've put more effort into helping their son pick up very basic skills. Thanks for taking the time to research and look into other videos. For me all I needed was to see that he has normal usage of his hands/arms to know he can learn how to walk if given the right support. He learned how to crawl on his own. That should tell you something.

[blindthief]

If he was a sitting vegetable I would concede to the sad fact that he would not be able to do anything other than lie in bed and stare at the ceiling. But that's not the case. I believe there is hope since we see that he is able to use his brain even if it's very limited. Again, we're talking about simple walking (not dancing or playing soccer). It's a reasonable goal. I guess it comes down to what you believe in.

[blindthief]

@wpcp12 I don't like to sound harsh because I know what it's like to face difficulty in life. And I don't unfairly judge people. But I believe this particular individual can achieve certain goals given the right support from parents. I'm not an expert in the medical or science field but my senses tell me one doesn't necessarily need professional help to learn how to walk and/or communicate to a certain degree. Finance can be an issue but it shouldn't take them 20+ yrs to find a solution. Sorry.