A P.E.I. filmmaker has been blown away by the response from his first short documentary.
“Grounded – A Rock Climbing Documentary” was released on YouTube last month and was created by Nathan Carter of Wrong Horse Productions.
By speaking to several rock climbers, including Stratford’s Matt Cormier, the video shows the passion behind the sport while also detailing Cormier’s determination to recover from a traumatic fall. Cormier broke his neck and fractured several bones when he fell more than 80 feet from the side of a New Brunswick cliff.
While Carter and Cormier knew the video would get a number of local views, they were surprised with the number of emails they’ve received from climbers throughout the U.S.
“The response has kind of blow us away,” said Carter, who noted the two have also received emails from people who weren’t necessarily climbers but still found inspiration in the video. “(We had people say) I just broke my arm but this has me wanting to climb a mountain.
“It’s unfortunate what happened to Matt, but it’s great he’s able to share his story in such spirits and motivate other people.”
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Carter, a fellow rock climber, met Cormier while the two were working at Red Rock Climbing in Stratford.
Cormier said he hoped the documentary would share his story while also making a positive impact on others.
He was more than impressed with Carter’s finished product.
“I was blown away, my response to him was it almost made the fall worth it. (I’m) obviously joking, but at the same time he brought a powerful message to the forefront,” said Cormier.
Carter, who grew up in Cardigan, had a different path to starting his production company.
He graduated from UPEI last year with a chemistry degree.
However, Carter found his passion when he made a video for a non-profit group. That first video began leading into other similar projects.
He was then able to start Wrong Horse Productions through Skills P.E.I.’s self-employed program and hopes Grounded becomes the first of many other documentaries.
“It’s definitely a passion for me… If I could continue to help people tell their story that would be great.”
