Underseen Available to Public
As our EU-funded market building project in Eastern Europe, Collaborate for Impact, draws to a close, we are happy to share a publicly available version of our impact film, Underseen. It offers a powerful look at the type of impact any impact investor can have in developing economies, and the role resilient social entrepreneurs play in times of crisis and conflict.
“The world doesn’t exist until I hear it or feel it.”
These words belong to Katya, a guide at Lviv's Museum in the Dark, and one of the central voices in the new documentary Underseen. Her story – along with those of others – brings to life an experience of the world shaped by visual impairment, where perception shifts and the senses find new roles.
The museum itself exists to reverse roles: sighted visitors are led into total darkness by visually impaired guides, who help them navigate by sound, touch, and intuition. This immersive exhibit challenges assumptions about perception. It's a story we wanted to share with investors, social entrepreneurs, public institutions and all other players in the investing for impact ecosystem. Today, we are happy to open access to the film to all who wish to see it, share it and engage with it.
On making Underseen
The 25-minute impact film, directed by Rafael Cortes and funded by the EU, resists convention. Rather than turning off the screen, it transforms it. When participant Vika describes the gradual constriction of her field of vision, the image on screen narrows with her memory. Throughout the film, visual design and a richly textured soundscape work together to pull the audience into the inner world of its subjects.
This layered approach began before filming. Rafael spent hours speaking with Katya and Alina – the museum’s director – during early development. These conversations shaped not just the narrative, but the very form of the film. “Sound and vibration became ways to express space and emotion,” Rafael explains. “We aimed to depict what cannot be seen. It’s about more than showing – it’s about feeling, sensing, entering a space where vision is not the dominant mode.”
For the creators, the goal is that the film resonates deeply with visually impaired viewers – not just as observers, but as central participants. “Art,” says director Rafael Cortes, “should be a portal to inclusion. Accessibility isn’t an afterthought – it’s a core design principle.” That is why the film has also been supplemented with a Ukrainian audio description specifically made for those with a visual handicap.
Additionally, the film is a showcase for the work done by social entrepreneurs in emerging and developing economies. The Museum in the Dark is one of the portfolio companies of SILab Ukraine, one of Impact Europe's partners in the EU-funded market building project Collaborate for Impact, which aimed to mobilize capital for impact and help expand the impact investing ecosystem in Eastern Europe. The funding provided by SILab has been pivotal for the Museum in the Dark, as is indicated throughout the film. As such, the story of the museum offers a potent example of how relatively small impact investments can make an outsized addition to the resilience of local communities and disadvantaged groups.
Share the film!
As the film is now public, we would like to encourage you to share it with your network. Include mention of Underseen in your newsletter or on your blog, and screen the film at your events to help spread the message. If you are interested in promoting the film or engaging with it, do let us know and we are happy to assist.