Kelda Wood's extraordinary story hits the big screen this autumn
A documentary film that centres around the life of Shropshire charity founder, Kelda Wood, has its first public screening this autumn.
‘Breaking Waves - The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of Kelda Wood’ has already been shown at multiple film festivals, including Kendal Mountain Festival, Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, Beloit International Film Festival, ReelAbilities Film Festival New York, Frontier Sapiens Film Festival, and Poulsbo Film Festival.
Its first public screening will take place in the county where Kelda lives. It will be shown at Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury on November 17th, followed by a Q&A with Kelda.
The film was produced by Sienna Beckman of Emergence Films, who is committed to supporting female-identifying filmmakers and underrepresented storytellers around the world. She said, “Breaking Waves is a moving account of an unbelievably resilient and determined woman, who despite being ‘ordinary’, takes us on an extraordinary adventure. It’s as much a story about being human and accepting failure as it is about strength, courage and overcoming trauma.”
The film looks back on Kelda’s momentous experiences through a mix of interviews, personal and commercial archive footage, and cinematic b-roll. From the lows of a life-changing injury to the highs of completing a solo row across the Atlantic, and the raw emotions of every decision in between, she shows her determination to never quit.
Kelda is the founder of the charity Climbing Out, which combines the outdoors and personal development coaching to empower life after trauma. She was the first female Para-athlete to summit Mount Aconcagua, and a World Record holder as the first Para-rower to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
Kelda Wood said, “It’s been six years since we began this project, so it feels pretty surreal to have finally got to this point! It’s not a boastful film about a Hollywood moment, it’s about saying, bad stuff happens, it always has done and it always will do… it’s what we do next that we can control. If the film gives a little inspiration to anyone who feels stuck, then we will have done our job.”
The documentary is directed by Alice Rosso - an award-winning writer and director in both fictional development and factual filmmaking, and cinematography (and executive produced) by Keith Partridge - a highly regarded filmmaker with a successful career spanning over 30 years and an International EMMY for Cinematography for his work on The Human Planet.
To book tickets for the screening, visit theatresevern.co.uk/shows/whatson/breaking-waves.
