American Daredevil

American Daredevil is a feature documentary tracing the incredible life and tragic death of 23 year old adventurer Johnny Strange, the youngest person ever to summit the highest peak on all 7 continents. A searing examination of what it means to live life to the fullest, it’s a raw and candid portrait of a fearless pioneer.

Johnny still holds the world’s record as the youngest person to parachute onto both the north and south poles. After summiting Everest as a teenager, Johnny’s passion for altitude and speed led him into the treacherous world of wing suit base-jumping. An extreme athlete and renowned risk-taker, Johnny studied skydiving and wing suiting with some of the world’s most accomplished wing suit pilots. He posted highlights of  his exploits online as he continually increased the challenge  of his flights, pushing himself  to be the best of the best. He was fearless, but not careless, and he went to great lengths to understand the science behind his pursuits.

Despite constant requests  from his family and loved ones to stop flying, especially as the number of deaths in his sport skyrocketed, Johnny’s resolve never wavered. Forced to travel to Europe to fly (because wing suit base jumping is illegal in America’s federal parks), Johnny took off for Switzerland amidst pleas from his family not to go. Something about this particular trip had everyone spooked, even Johnny himself, as we learn during an incredibly emotional sequence between Johnny and his best friend on the day before Johnny departed.

Filled with gorgeous and heart-pounding imagery of Johnny in flight, and driven by Johnny’s final on camera interview shot a month before he was killed, Johnny Strange: Born To Fly is a peek into the psyche of an American original.