From her bedroom window, Melissa Simpson has gazed at the highest peaks in Colorado for her whole life. These are the peaks John Denver wrote love songs about, that stood as a symbol of both Melissa’s greatest dream, and her biggest obstacle.
Today’s Staff Pick Premiere, “From My Window,” is the story of how Melissa climbed those mountains despite having cerebral palsy, a congenital condition she has had since childhood. If there ever was a real-life Rocky Balboa, she is that person. Her Mickey Goldmill is a man named Erik Weihenmayer, a blind adventurer who founded the nonprofit No Barriers, which works to help its members navigate and conquer challenges and build an inclusive, accessible community of outdoor explorers.
It’s impossible to sum up this powerful documentary without using words like “strength,” “determination,” “awe,” and “love,” so I’m going to leave those terms there and let the film show you the power of a truly beautiful, human story.
Director Frank Pickell and the Futuristic Films team framed Melissa’s incredible story through a cinematic lens worthy of Hollywood screens. Press play for a year’s worth of inspiration, and read on for excerpts from a chat with Frank about the making of this awesome film.
On what inspired the film:
“We were contacted last fall by Erik [Weihenmayer] and his team. They were planning the climb with Melissa and wanted to document the journey. It was great timing as commercial work had slowed down a bit and we were looking for a meaningful project that we could involve more of our internal team on. Once we met with Melissa, we knew we needed to do whatever it took to make the film happen.”
On filming the uphill trek:
“For this film, we had two of us operating cameras and a number of assistants on our camera crew. Everyone had a camera backpack with lenses, batteries, drones, etc. We coordinated with radios…and a lot of sprinting up and down the mountain to get cameras in position. When you’re making a film around an event, it’s always challenging to get the quality of shots you want to tell the story cinematically. The team worked super hard to make it happen.”
On watching Melissa accomplish her dreams:
“One of the things I enjoy most about documentary filmmaking is the opportunity to peak behind the curtain and be invited into peoples lives that you wouldn’t otherwise get to meet. It’s one of the great gifts of the craft. You get to go interesting places and learn so much about people and the challenges and struggles they face. And sometimes, like with Melissa, you get to celebrate in the victories. It’s a real honor to be trusted with the task of bringing stories like Melissa to the world.”
On challenges faced:
“For this project, we really wanted to bring a unique look that you wouldn’t normally see with this type of film. We shot on anamorphic lenses. In hindsight, I don’t think I’ll choose to shoot a run-and-gun doc on big anamorphic lenses again anytime soon. It made the shoot overly challenging and cumbersome, but ultimately, it was worth it.
Another challenge we faced was that Melissa and her rope team moved surprisingly fast on the mountain. Much faster than we were expecting. We spent most of the day sprinting up and down the mountain trying to get ahead and get the shots we needed.
And from a budget standpoint, to say this was on a shoestring would be an understatement. Budgets are always a challenge, but sometimes you just have to jump in with both feet and throw as many resources as you can at a project that you believe in. Most of the camera team volunteered their time for three long days and we borrowed most of the equipment.”
How do Melissa and Erik feel about this film?
“Both Erik and Melissa are very excited. Erik is the founder of the No Barriers non-profit. The organization works really hard to help people with disabilities build community, set new goals, and ultimately, learn that what is within us is stronger than what’s in our way. For No Barriers to be able to get their message out to a broad audience is very exciting. Erik had input in the evolution of the film, but we kept it under wraps with Melissa until we were nearly finished.”
Frank’s advice to aspiring filmmakers:
“Chase after the projects that really resonate with your heart. If you feel like there is a worthwhile story that needs to be told, do what it takes to make it happen. Don’t let budgets, schedules, and other limiting factors keep you from finding a way. Those limiting factors exist on every project, no matter what the size. If you throw your energy into what you really want to create, the universe will conspire to help you make it happen. And most of the time, those projects end up being your best work.”
What’s next for Melissa:
“Melissa is continuing to volunteer at Howard Head Sports Medicine and pursue her interests in physiology and sports rehab. She is also now working for Erik’s Touch the Top organization.”
On upcoming film projects:
“Currently we are shooting a number of commercials, but we have a few projects in development. One we are pitching and looking for funding is a backcountry snowboard story with Noah Elliot, a US Paralympian and gold medalist. Another project in the pitch phase is a story about an independent salmon fisherman in Alaska who restored a 100 year old wooden boat to start his business and support his young family.”
