Shattered Expectations

The task set out to me in 2023 was straightforward: create a 30-minute documentary on anything.

For a long time, this left me numb, so I decided to sit down and watch every short documentary I could find. After watching all these documentaries, I still couldn't pinpoint a topic or theme, but something sparked my imagination.

From a list of 400 documentaries, I observed that the best of them didn't rely on a compelling topic. Instead, they focused entirely on a character and their story, often leading the audience to a broader issue. I stripped it back in my mind: the best documentaries were full of human empathy and personal storytelling, not simply a corroboration of facts.

After a late night of research, I landed on endurance athletes as a community with engaging characters who must have a story to tell or at least an explanation for why they do what they do. When I found Wendy in a community group chat on Facebook, I wasn't expecting what unfolded.

After six months of filming on the road in Texas, California, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado, including emotional and profound interviews with Wendy, her family, friends, coaches, and doctors, I pieced together a brutally honest portrait of Wendy's life. I captured her breaking records and listened to accounts of her darkest days.

I heard stories of loss, injury, neverending hospital treatments, car accidents and crises. But I also heard and witnessed stories of tenacity and resilience, which is why I created this film.

The Filmmaker

Crispin Kerr-Dineen is a journalist and documentary filmmaker from London who holds a master's degree in News and Documentary Journalism from New York University and a bachelor's degree in History from Newcastle University. As a multimedia journalist, Crispin has reported in both print and video across the US. Shattered Expectations is Crispin's first longer-form documentary, which has already received recognition by winning a Gold Remi Award at the Houston International Film Festival.

The Composer

Carlotta Romano is a New York based Italian Composer and Singer. Carlotta's life journey has led her to reside in Abu Dhabi and the United Kingdom for several years. Coming from a highly refined background in Violin training in Europe, Carlotta holds an Undergraduate Degree in Music Composition and Voice from the University of Bristol. She has completed her Master's in Music Theory and Composition: Screen Scoring at New York University and has been a recipient of the 2023 "Society of Composers and Lyricists" Mentorship Program in New York. carlottaromano.com