Narratives bring movies to life for the blind

[Photo/China Daily]

Gui Yuchun, 51, who lost eyesight because of a brain tumor, regularly visits the cinema. "The last time I had seen a movie was when I was a child. Now 20 years have passed and I can 'see' the movie again, thanks to Du," Gui says.

Du says the job is hard but also satisfying. She now views each movie at least four times, and during her preparations, she will close her eyes and imagine how blind listeners feel and where there might be some confusion. Du incorporates her own emotional reactions in her commentary, which can make them very touching.

She says the choice of movies is quite demanding as the plot and characters have to be realistic and close to social life so they have some kind of resonance with the audience. And the scenes need to be interesting so she can give vivid descriptions. With preparation for each movie taking a week, Du says she feels quite pressured. Nevertheless, she enjoys the job.

Du has suffered from neurofibromas since childhood, and she had to walk with a limp as she grew older. In 2006, she was admitted to Wuhan University of Science and Technology and honored as a Top-Ten Youth as a freshman.

Unfortunately, her illness had changed her life abruptly. She had surgery for the third time when she was a sophomore. However it not only failed but also resulted in a pathological change to her right leg.