It was a busy past couple of weeks with trips to Denver and NYC for the premieres of Touch the Wall, a documentary directed by my good friends Christo Brock and Grant Barbeito focusing on the simultaneous rise of Olympic swimmer Missy Franklin and the decline of her more experienced teammate, two-time Olympian Kara Lynn Joyce. I was fortunate to be involved in the film as an additional photographer for some key scenes late in the film. So when they invited me to come along to the premieres, I was more than happy to join them, both to celebrate and help out by documenting the behind-the-scenes experiences of both momentous weekends. The official premiere was at the Starz Denver Film Festival and was as exciting a start as any small film could hope for. The screening sold out the enormous Buell Theater’s 2500+ seats, outselling the festival’s opening night. This was in no small part to the fact that Denver — more specifically, Aurora — is Missy’s hometown and has also recently become home to Kara Lynn. Needless to say, there was a huge turnout from the swimming community and locals who have followed the ascent of Missy’s career long before she had won her five Olympic medals at the age of 17. The following weekend, we reconvened in Manhattan for a private premiere screening hosted by USA Swimming at the Sunshine Theater. Though the crowd was smaller, the theater still sold out and was attended by several notables in professional swimming, from Rowdy Gaines, who hosted the Q&A after the screening, to Olympic gold medalist Davis Tarwater, as well as Olympic gymnast Nastia Luikin. Both weekends were great. Missy and Kara are genuinely a lot of fun, and I had a good time tagging along as they got the Hollywood treatment, from the red carpet to a private dress shopping visit at Nicole Miller. I also got to enjoy brunch with the Franklin’s at a restaurant high above Times Square where Missy was recognized by an adoring server and a nearby table of teenage girls.
Though my role was small, I’m really proud to be a part of this film and am proud of my friends Grant and Christo for pulling it off. Not only did they complete the film — a grueling, four-year process including two years of filming, countless hours trying to raise money and I have no idea how many hours of editing — but they managed to tell a great story that makes the film interesting whether you’re a fan of swimming or somehow have no idea who Michael Phelps is. The level of personal sacrifice they put themselves through was also amazing to me, and I truly hope they reap the rewards. To that end, I recommend that you go see it! Since it’s a small independent film, the filmmakers are trying a new approach to distribution, in which people can request screenings in their hometown theaters. There are a number of screenings already taking place around the country, and if you miss them you can request your own or choose to buy a digital download of the film for your own private viewing. All the info you need is HERE.
On to NYC…
