Geoff Babb is a local Bend adventurer, father of twin boys and husband who sought to re-ignite his adventurous spirit after experiencing two strokes that left him in a wheelchair with limited mobility in one hand. His dream was to take his creation, The AdvenChair — an all-terrain wheelchair with an adjustable sit-ski seat made from mountain bike parts — to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back out again. This journey is the focus of, "The Grand AdvenChair," a documentary written and directed by Marcia Volk that tracks that four-day adventure.
"While doing digital marketing projects for solo entrepreneurs and nonprofits, I had the opportunity to meet Geoff Babb. His incredible and infectious will to dream boldly made me want to do the same," states Volk, the film's director. "I have always dreamed of creating a documentary, and now we've both realized huge dreams."
The film marks Volk's debut as a documentary director. "I wanted to put myself in the experience and feel everything that was happening to those on the journey with him," Volk explains.
The AdvenChair, being human powered, required a team of people to assist Babb down the Grand Canyon. Volk and her husband asked Babb to select four people from the expedition team, to then to narrate the story from their perspectives. Volk and her husband dedicated a year of their lives to creating the 48-minute film.
"If you get a chance to see the film, you'll hear the tears and how the journey transformed them," notes Volk. "It was just soul touching to create this project."
The film received an award from the IMPACT Docs Wards and is currently nominated for the LA Independent Women Film Awards. It promises to leave viewers inspired by human resilience, moved by first-hand accounts of an incredible adventure and believing in the power of dreams to make the world a better place.
"DREAM BOLDLY: The Grand AdvenChair" will be shown at Open Space Event Studios on Tuesday, May 28, followed by a Q&A with the AdvenChair visionary, Babb, other members of the Grand AdvenChair team and director Volk.
