Wings for Life World Run approached me to tell the story of paraplegic Ydwer van der Heide for the leading up to the World Run charity event in 2022. Ydwer suffered a spinal cord injury after an accident foil surfing in the Netherlands, but that doesn't stop him from chasing his dreams and living life to the fullest. The character, perseverance and mindset of this man are inspiring and I'm proud to have been able to contribute to the cause, not just as a filmmaker but also by participating in the charity run myself.

This project was produced under a very tight deadline so we went with a simple concept: have presenter Juvat Westendorp talk to Ydwer while walking/riding along a stretch of coast. To make it real yet have some boundaries to the topics they'd discuss I gave them both a few questions and pointers to ask the other without the other knowing these questions beforehand. We shot it from the back of a car on a quiet road, able to capture all their genuine reactions and emotions.

Crew:

Directed, filmed & edited by Lars Veenstra

Assistant - Jasper de Vos