Jan calls himself Buffalo. He loves cowboys, he’s blind, and may lose his hearing. The documentary follows his journey to America to visit the chief of the Navajo tribe, who wants to perform a ritual to help his hearing. The film is full of unpretentious humor thanks to Jan’s charisma. In the USA, he’s like the Don Quixote of the Wild West - a naive adventurer in a world that is much more ordinary than his imagination. This observational, but not standoffish, film is also an example of how the medium of film can relate to blind people by constantly showing the difference between what Jan perceives and what we actually see.
Direction
Visual storytelling that bridges Jan's imagined West with mundane reality
Writing
Unscripted wit that emerges from Jan's stubborn romanticism
Cinematography
Deliberate gaps between what Jan hears and what we witness
Director
Pavel Jurda
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Pavel Jurda pioneered 'sensory documentary' techniques here, using audio description principles in reverse—showing audiences what a blind protagonist cannot see.
The film sparked debate in Czech disability communities: some praised its dignified portrayal, others criticized the 'disability tourism' framing of Navajo spiritual practices.
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