08/10/2021
Redemption is like rolling, humbling but worth it:
My Director's statement for "The River Runner" featuring Scott Lindgren.
• I did not intend to make this film. What started out as a documentary about the history of kayaking turned into an intimate portrait of one of my childhood heroes, Scott Lindgren. Scott was a legend to many kayakers of my generation. Not only did he pioneer a new genre of whitewater kayaking films, but he was also pushing the boundaries of the sport in front of the camera. I had posters of his movies on my bedroom wall. But like all heroes, Scott has his flaws. As I grew older and became a professional kayaker and filmmaker myself, I learned Scott was notorious for his sharp edges. On the river, his unsentimental attitude allowed him the fortitude to take bigger risks and paddle whitewater no one else dared to. But off the river, he struggled with the same challenges many adventurers face: trauma, addiction, and toxic relationship patterns. As I spent more time with Scott, and saw him battle with the diagnosis of a brain tumor and his own mortality, I witnessed him soften. It was then that I realized there was a more important story here than the history of kayaking. It was a challenge for me to move beyond a story structure and genre I was used to in order to explore a more valuable message that I felt had an opportunity to connect with a broader audience. The story of white men going out and “conquering” rivers or mountains has been told a thousand times. I wanted to move beyond the dominant, individualistic mentality that is so pervasive in the traditional adventure narrative. So how do you do this while still making a film about a white man going on self-imposed dangerous endeavors? How do you dig deeper? I think Scott, in all of his sharing, really helped us break down barriers and see some of the roots of our societal issues through a more self-aware lens. In the process of making this film, I even started to better understand my own emotional layers. It helped me look in the mirror. And I hope that anyone who sees this can also self-reflect upon how we can walk through this world with more empathy and awareness of the ripple effect of our actions. I hope people feel a deep, profound connection towards Scott’s story, and more importantly, to their own stories. My hope is that the audience feels the weight of Scott’s personal journey and the lengths he went to become the person he is now. It’s never too late to change, and it’s never too late to follow your dreams in a way that honors yourself and those around you. •
