English screenwriter, producer and director Lucy Walker's fifth documentary feature which she co-wrote with Brazilian screenwriter and film editor Pedro Cos and co-produced, is inspired by the director's first encounter in 2010 with a dedicated 21st century Winter X Games medallist who wished that he could inspire other action sports athletes to use their stage for social change. It premiered in the U.S. Documentary Premieres section at the 29th Sundance Film Festival in 2013, was screened in the Berlinale Special section at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival in 2013, was shot on location in America and is an American production which was produced by producer Julian Cautherly. It tells the story about a professional American snowboarder in his mid-twenties named Kevin Pearce from the town of Hanover in the state of New Hampshire in the United States whom during a winter in the late 2000s whilst living with his father named Simon, his mother named Pia and his brothers named Andrew, Adam and David and being in hard training for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada suffered a life-altering head injury after a close to deadly fall in a half-pipe in Park City, Utah in America. Distinctly and subtly directed by English filmmaker Lucy Walker, this finely paced documentary which is narrated from multiple viewpoints though mostly from the main character's point of view, draws an intimate, considerate and gripping portrayal of an uncommonly talented athlete's relationship with his family, his competitive and friendly relationship with an equally profound snowboarder, skateboarder and Winter Olympics Gold medallist named Shaun White who was born with a heart defect and told that he wouldn't be good in sports, and his heart- wrenching awakening to life at a hospital as a different person than he was and having to learn almost everything again. While notable for it's variegated milieu depictions, fine cinematography by cinematographer Nick Higgins and multi-dimensional scenes of snowboarding, this narrative-driven story about variegated kinds of love, disenchanting and courageous compromises, human boundaries and a physically and mentally demanding and gracious American invention and art form which became prominent in the late 20th century and which can bring both fortunate and fatal consequences, depicts a real-life study of character with cinematic dimensions and contains informative, authentic and at times shocking interviews with snowboarders, family members, friends, other extreme sports athletes and witnesses. This somewhat historic and at times breath-taking appreciation of life and documentation of real events in the life of a son, brother and friend who during the peak of his career became the number one challenger for one of the world's greatest and most renowned snowboarders, which is set mostly in America in the 21st century, where shame is virtuously turned into acceptance, where brightness turns into darkness in a matter of seconds, a person comes back to the light, a 29-year-old Canadian freestyle skier named Sarah Burke goes training at the same large half-pipe as Kevin Pearce and a straightforward man named David Pearce who regards himself as an up-person makes his brother know the difference between confidence and reason, is impelled and reinforced by it's fragmented narrative structure, substantial character development, efficient continuity, pivotal film editing, interrelated stories, multifaceted use of archival and other types of footage, home video recordings, versatile perspectives, timely use of music, perceptible underlying spiritual grace and the hardly noticeable presence of the instructor who spent two and a half years with the main subject and his supportive family. An exceptionally humane, existentialistic and gravitating documentary feature which gained numerous awards at various film festivals.

This is the most amazing documentary I have ever seen. Kevin Pearce, his fabulous family and his friends are an inspiration to us all. What an advert for the importance of family and friends, but most of all the human spirit and what can be achieved with the right attitude and support of your family and friends. Kevin Pearce has just jumped to number 1 of my all time favourite and most admired and respected people on the planet. Number 1 on my bucket list - meet Kevin Pearce!! Brilliantly made documentary, sadness, happiness, admiration, respect, the list goes on for the words I could use to describe everybody involved. Kevin Pearce - you are a legend!!

It is with no doubt one of the most controversial stories in snowboarding for the past decade. Kevin Pearce's crash marks a sad milestone in the quest for higher, bigger and more spectacular jumps. It's already here where the documentary does not quite know which red line to follow: KP or the dangers in snowboarding? For now we follow Kevin's development and his rivalry with Shaun White and it's already at this point where it becomes obvious in what corner White is put.I must admit that I am not the biggest White fan and treasure KP a lot more but at some points it becomes ridiculous that the only thing that obviously matters is to beat Shaun. Kevin has brought much more to the table than just tricks and fortunately the makers decided to show some of it too.As soon as we get to the crash the film becomes very loose, not quite sure if it's a reality soap like Metallica's "Some Kind Of Monster" or a warning campaign against the risks of actions sports. The VERY intimate conversations with his family and therapists are interesting to watch, especially if you keep in mind that KP had to learn EVERYTHING anew, not just walking - particularly social skills as well. And that's where it gets ugly in my opinion. I was always wondering "WHY is there a camera present in this very room at this very conversation?" In a situation like this I would not want any public participation at this point. Still the film digs into very intimate details and presents them quite shamelessly.I think the most important part of the film is Kevin stating that he wants to go back on his board immediately although each and everyone around him tells him otherwise. Because he still needed to learn so much he was obviously going through a phase of selfishness that usually a four-year-old would go through. By doing so he severely hurts his loved ones and literally puts his life on the line again.This raises the following questions for me: - Was Kevin actually REALLY aware of what he got himself into here? - Even if there is so much love and understanding, why did his family agree on letting the makers dig that deep? - What is the actual conclusion of this film? On one hand we got Kev desperately wanting and getting back on his board but at the same time we see the tragic fates of other athletes. - Shaun White may be faceless, spoiled and egotistic but that's just the way HE pursues. So why the vilification?One true gem of the film is his disabled brother who is as honest as one could be. He is one of the few constants in the film who actually take part in convincing KP not to ride competitively anymore. Although as simple as his mind might appear he is the true pole of sanity.The Crash Reel is a very ambitious film about the risks of action sports and one athlete who was somehow lucky. Still, I somehow don't feel quite satisfied which the direction the film was taking and I also don't understand why the Pearce's allowed the makers to be present at such intimate conversations.

Absolutely loved this film! I randomly turned it on (on HBO) and was immediately interested, even though I don't know much about snowboarding. It was interesting to learn about competitive snowboarding & how dangerous it is. Clearly there needs to be more regulations in extreme sports- and at the very very least competitors should be covered under their sponsors, the venues or the media's (who's covering them) insurance. I was so glad to hear Kevin's sponsors stuck with him thru out his ordeal.I feel in love with the Pierce family who are so loving!Best of luck to you KP in whatever you choose to do now!