Blind Ambition
classified 12APlease note: This was screened in Aug 2022
This hugely enjoyable documentary follows an unlikely team of Zimbabwean refugees turned sommeliers who shake up the international wine establishment when they compete in the World Blind Tasting Championships in France.
Joseph, Marlvin, Pardon and Tinashe escaped violence in Zimbabwe to build new lives in South Africa. Their work in restaurants allowed them to develop a newfound interest in wine and becoming sommeliers in the process. Together they form the first-ever Zimbabwe team to compete in the Western Europe-dominated World Blind Tasting Championships - the Olympics of the wine world, where they must sample twelve different wines and guess the country, winery and vintage.
Their sampling skills take them a long way, but it is their connection to their country, underscored by comments and encouragement of parents, grandparents and children they left back home, that provide the motivation and backbone. A full-bodied and feel-good story about four inspiring men, dedication, determination, and really knowing your wines...