Joe Levitt
As part of The Pulse of Art program, Joe Levitt discusses the inspiration for his film, “Going Blind”—his own fear of losing his eyesight after a diagnosis of glaucoma. The film follows five individuals who are either blind or have low vision, and provides an intimate view of how they adapt to and cope with their challenges. Afterward, the filmmaker answers questions from the students about his own medical story, the individuals depicted in the film, and the process of creating a medical documentary.
Joe Lovett is an Executive Producer and the founder and president of Lovett Stories and Strategies. He is an award-‐winning filmmaker whose films have informed, engaged, and inspired people into action. He produced the first in-depth AIDS investigations for national television at ABC News 20/20. In 2001 Lovett won a Peabody Award and received an Emmy nomination for writing, producing, and directing HBO’s Cancer: Evolution to Revolution. This film launched a national conversation about coping, treating, and learning to live with the realities of cancer. His film, “Going Blind,” and its outreach campaign have ignited a global movement of individuals, grassroots organizations, and medical professionals sponsoring screenings to raise awareness and improve access to vision enhancement services. In addition, he has directed and/or produced other medical educational films including Blood Detectives (produced for the American Society of Hematology) and Three Sisters Searching for a Cure, a film about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for HBO.