Touché: A Blind Fencer's Story

1. Wrapups
   
2. The Final Tournament
   
3. To the Testing Center
   
4. Pet Snakes
   
5. The First Tournament
   
6. Introducing Ani
   
7. Blindfolds Introduced
   
8. Instruction Begins
   
9. In the Darkness
   

The film

A poignant and inspiring feature-length documentary about the astonishing sport of blind and sight-impaired fencing, where competitors guide themselves by touch and sound. The film follows Catherine Bolton, a mother who loses her sight as an adult, as she relearn how to do everything — and then exceeds her former self by becoming a blind fencing champion.

The score

On first watch I found myself choking up within the first ten minutes. I knew it needed special treatment. The subject matter being so poignant, the music needed to steer clear of both heavy-handed “inspirational” music or bland filler. I ultimately wrote for a contemporary chamber ensemble, feeling that a group of solo instruments would reflect the intimate feel of the story. Piano and guitar accompany the twists and turns of Catherine’s journey, solo and dual cellos reflect the history of fencing as a sport, while hand percussion evokes the heated tension of the tournaments.