A man straps lawn mower blades to his feet and calls it flight. It works.
When a YouTube video of Alexandru Duru's hoverboard flight goes viral, the young engineer sets a Guinness World Record and achieves the recognition he desires. But fame and fortune don't come easily. Often mocked and ostracized (until they achieve their goal), inventors see the world in a distinct way. Duru is no different. The son of Romanian immigrants, he's driven by a desire to achieve the impossible—and to cash in. Exploring the banality of Duru's trial-and-error efforts, director Bogdan Stoica is an artistic risk-taker worthy of his subject. He allows contemplative scenes to develop in real-time with immaculate framing; a natural tension builds as we witness Duru strapping the equivalent of high-speed lawn mower blades to his feet. Avoiding the temptation to sensationalize and thus trivialize his subject, Stoica reveals a rich story about immigration, settlement and the human desire to transcend our physical confines. -Alexander Rogalski (Hot Docs Film Festival)
Direction
Stoica's refusal to sensationalize becomes the radical act
Cinematography
Immaculate framing makes terror look like sculpture
Editing
Real-time contemplation that builds natural dread
Director
Bogdan Stoica
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Stoica's real-time approach mirrors Duru's process: both director and inventor reject shortcut spectacle for the uncomfortable truth of making.
Duru's 2015 Guinness record preceded the viral 'hoverboard' scooter fad by months, making his actual flight tech instantly obsolete in public imagination.
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