Blindness

Those who came down with the sickness early are struck blind, quarantined and abandoned in an empty mental hospital. Food is the only service that is provided by the Government and as it becomes less frequent so does the humanity and dignity of the victims. The community breaks down, turning to chaos when the occupants of Ward 3 take control of the food. The demands begin, the valuables used to trade for food soon run out and the primal needs of the all male ward take over. A woman who still has her sight, wife of one of the affected, provides an edge as a small group of survivors look to her for care and leadership.

One of the most heart-wrenching scenes in this movie is one where the women have to decide on bartering with their bodies or their entire ward starving to death. There was a period of what seemed a couple days between the vile offers by Ward 3 and when the women made their choice. This seemed like a rash decision. The human body can last quite a long time without food as long as they still have water.

The human body is dependant on food but there are many factors that would affect the need for sustenance in such a short period of time. Level of activity, exposure to the elements, overall body weight and overall health would drastically change how urgently food would be required. The people in the ward were all indoors, so they weren’t exposed to harsh weather. They were blind and weren’t able to get around very easily so their level of activity wouldn’t be high. They did not have lots of food to eat and their conditions were very poor so their weight and health might factor in.

Most doctors believe that a healthy human can go up to eight weeks without food as long as they have water. Gandhi went 21 days without food and Irish republic protestor Bobby Sands went 66 days without food before dying. Their will, determination and the meaning behind their hunger strike played a big part in coping with the length of time without food.

You may be able to last eight weeks without food but why would you? Try the Grilled Salami and Cheese Sandwich, inspired by the movie.

Grilled Salami and Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

1 Teaspoon of butter
3 – 5 Slices of block mild cheddar cheese
4 – 6 Thinly sliced dry salami
2 Slices rye bread

Preparation

Fry the salami in a pan until the fat is rendered then set aside on paper towel to drain. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread, place cheese on unbuttered side of bread and salami on top of cheese. Place unbuttered slice of bread on top of salami. Place in pan and cook until golden brown and flip. Cook until both sides are golden brown and cheese is melted.