Rain City Cinema announced today that its film, "Ride The Sky", about pioneering skydiver Joan Carson, will screen at the Flathead Lake International CineFest on January 25, 2014 in Montana.Carson, who lived in Kalispell in the late 70s was one of the founders of Lost Prairie Skydive Dropzone in Montana, home of one of the top 5 skydiving boogies in the world.
Tragically, Carson perished there in a skydiving mishap shortly after it opened. She was only 30 years old when she died.
Rain City Cinema's director, Paul Gorman, who knew Carson in high school and spent some time with her while she was living in San Francisco, was deeply affected by her death. "The news of her death shocked me. It was one of those events that stay with you the rest of your life," said Gorman.
Gorman wanted to know what drove Carson to continue skydiving after suffering two serious accidents. "I was curious as to the reason she took the risks she did and why she would continue doing something that caused her so much pain," said Gorman.
It was after learning that while in her 20's, Carson and several of her skydiving friends had built their own airfield, hangar, and skydive center in the Montana wilderness, that Gorman's interest was piqued. "I was impressed with her accomplishments and adventurous spirit. The fact that Joan would follow her passion from the safety of the suburbs of Redmond to the sophistication of San Francisco then to the wilderness in Montana where she built her own airport and skydive center, convinced me that her story was bigger than my own personal interest and it had universal appeal. It was then that I decided to make a film about her," said Gorman.
"Ride The Sky " retraces Joan's skydiving footsteps beginning in Montana and working its way backward, digging into Carson's past and the events that motivated her," said Gorman. "The film is structured in the same order in which we filmed it and the audience can experience the story as we did," said Gorman. "There definitely are some surprises along the way and questions answered, but with some new questions raised. The cause of her mishap remains a mystery."
Gorman is the founder of Rain City Cinema and B-Roll Cloud. He lives in Redmond, WA with his wife and dog.