Fest Trailer for ‘Blind Ambition’ Doc About Zimbabwean Sommeliers
by Alex Billington
June 9, 2021
Source: Vimeo
“A few years ago, none of us had ever tasted wine before.” Protagonist Pictures has unveiled the first trailer for Blind Ambition, a doc film premiering at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival coming up this month. It’s the long-awaited follow-up by co-directors Warwick Ross & Robert Coe, the team behind the Russell Crowe-narrated doc Red Obsession. And following its documentary film debut, Blind Ambition is being developed as a scripted series as well. Intro from Tribeca: “Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin, & Pardon are part of a wave of Zimbabweans who left their economically-hit homeland for a better life elsewhere. After their perilous journeys they arrive in South Africa, eventually get jobs in restaurants, gain interest in the intricacies of wine, become sommeliers, meet and bond with one another, and are encouraged to form the first-ever Zimbabwe team to compete in The World Wine Blind Tasting Championships—the Olympics of the wine world. Blind Ambition follows their ambitious path to their unlikely spot in this annual competition held in France.” This sounds and looks like a really heartwarming and inspiring story of ambition. I need to see this.
Here’s the first festival trailer for Robert Coe & Warwick Ross’ doc Blind Ambition, direct from Vimeo:
Driven by relentless optimism and a passion for their craft, four Zimbabwean refugees conquer the odds to become South Africa’s top sommeliers. Forming Zimbabwe’s first-ever wine tasting team, they set their sights on the coveted title of ‘World Wine Tasting Champions’. From the moment they arrive in France to compete, this team of mavericks turn an establishment of privilege & tradition entirely on its head. Blind Ambition is a truly uplifting and at times hilarious documentary that celebrates just how irrepressible the human spirit can be. Blind Ambition is co-directed (and co-produced) by doc filmmakers Robert Coe & Warwick Ross, both of whom worked on the doc film Red Obsession previously. Executive produced by Paul Wiegard for Madman, Madeline Ross, Ross Grant, Neil Harvey, Adrian Mackenzie, Cameron O’Reilly for Bayard Productions, and George Hamilton & Isabelle Stewart for Protagonist Pictures. It’s premiering at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival this year. No release dates have been yet – it’s still seeking distribution deals.
