“A rare glimpse into one man’s battle with ALS … with the spirit to find good in every situation and embrace every dy no matter the challenge we face”
Not many people would have the courage, tenacity and long term vision to chronicle their own terminal illness. Fred invited us into his life with a no holds barred approach, and encouraged us to capture every detail of his daily life. It’s been an honor to have complete access, and a challenge to watch him struggle without interfering with the events as they naturally unfolded.
Sharing the milestones of Fred’s final journey have been deeply moving. We reveled in the highs of his 75th birthday celebration at Canadian Mountain Holidays and his final hell-ski run. We soared across the Oregon coast in tandem paraglider, rock climbed Mt. Hood, and enjoyed laps in Indy race cards at the Portland International raceway. We also silently mourned his continual losses – the last time he rove, the last meals he enjoyed with friends outside his home, an this ability to easily speak and deliver his never ending jokes. It was a roller coaster journey, in in typical Noble spirit there was never a dull moment.
What amazed us most about Fred was his unwavering strength of spirit to not just survive, but thrive despite the obstacles. It’s made us re-evaluate how we spend our time, energy and focus. Everyone Fred encountered was challenged to rethink excuses for not seizing the day. As Fred stated, “Preparing for death is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself.” I hope this film continues to stimulate viewers to define what the Noble Spirit means to them, and how they can apply this to their everyday life.
The film has won multiple awards on the international film circuit, including “Best Documentary” at the DAM Short Film Festival, Merit Award “Best in Content” at the Cebu International Documentary Film Festival, “Best of Oregon Award” in the Oregon Film Awards, winner of an “Award of Excellence” in the Accolade Global Film Competition, “Award of Distinction” in the Global Film Awards, and “Most Inspirational Film” at the Mt. Hood Independent Film Festival.