During the Seattle International Film Festival final weekend, Blake Leeper and his team share what they accomplished by working together on ABLED.
Source: ABLED
Leeper was born without legs and was diagnosed to not be able to walk, however he surpassed medical expectations and became one of the fastest men internationally. Having come from a loving family full of support and passion, Leeper has been able to race against the best blade runners. However, he craved to run amongst non-disabled competitors at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Source: ABLED
While watching the film, I was captured by the utter truth in storytelling with the cinema-verite interviews. The vulnerability and trust built between the production team and Leeper while qualifying for the Olympics, only to be told he could not participate, because they believed him to have an advantage due to his blades.
Source: ABLED
By legally fighting, physically training and spiritually keeping his mindset on the path to his goals, the viewer experiences feelings of perseverance, hope and utter joy as Leeper teaches one to fight for themselves, always.
Source: ABLED
This trailer shows the scope of this beautiful documentary captured by the creative team including Thorsteinsson, Leong, Einarsson and Stefansson.
This film premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 21, 2023.
