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Will to Live: The Gary Edinger Story

Directed by Adam Foss
Documentary Short
USA | 17 min | 2019

In 2007, on a fateful February day, in the remote Northern Wisconsin woods, a solo independent logger named Gary Edinger severed his left leg off while felling a tree. Twenty miles from help, alone, and in forty below temperatures, Gary summoned a remarkable willpower and crawled to his pickup, then drove to safety. Gary’s struggle for survival, however, didn’t begin on that frigid winter day in the hardwoods. His whole life had been forged from adversity, rising above a meager upbringing and brushes with death as he learned to hunt, trap and fish alone, on his own terms.

Will to Live: the Gary Edinger Story provides a glimpse of a unique perspective gained by cheating death and chasing the call of life-long adventure as only Gary can. The tough-as-nails logger, champion dog sled racer and hunting guide also has a creative side writing poetry, singing cowboy songs and calling square dances. Now, 15 years after the accident and approaching the age of 70, Gary discovers his quest to live a full life and looks back at the impact of his decisions and how they weigh on the loved ones around him.

The violence in Chicago, specifically the South Side of Chicago has been talked about and discussed in the media a lot in recent years and for good reason – it is statistically one of the most violent places in America today. However, what the media doesn’t dive very far into is how the community is fighting back from within. There are a lot of people like LaVonte who are
products of this community – born and raised in this community that are trying to rewrite the narrative and give each and every kid an opportunity to succeed beyond the South Side. This is
what drew me to this project. My team and I spent a lot of time living/sleeping in the South Side where we were filming because we wanted to experience the community first hand and really
get to know this group of extraordinary people. There were certainly challenges, but at the end of the day we wanted to shine some light on the good that is being done and perhaps open up a dialogue about what else could be accomplished to combat the violence if something as simple as baseball can make such an enormous impact on a child’s life.

Will to Live: The Gary Edinger Story - Poster

Will to Live: The Gary Edinger Story - Adam FossAdam Foss
Director

Adam Foss grew up in the foothills of the Alberta Rockies where from age 14, he became deeply rooted in mountain bowhunting. His passion for wild places has led him to travel around the globe, pursuing outdoor adventures on six different continents. In addition to being an accomplished bowhunter and ambassador for outdoor brands like Sitka, YETI and Gerber, Foss has developed a career as a professional photographer and filmmaker. For almost a decade he has worked with his wife and producer Frankie Foss making films and content from their Kelowna-based company, Foss Media. The focus of Adam’s work over the years has been to redefine the way we tell stories around hunting, to push the boundaries of the typical hunting narrative into uncharted territory. Trophies are not a gauge of success for Foss. Instead, Adam is focused on the process of the hunt — spending challenging days in the mountains, forming long-lasting friendships, stewarding public lands, and conserving legendary big game species. Serving on multiple conservation boards — including a past position with WSF membership committees — he is currently a founding director of the Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance. Foss aims to protect and promote the hunting heritage, wild animals and wild places and to continue to tell the hunting stories that resonate at the human level for both hunters and non-hunters alike.

Film Information

Director: Adam Foss
Country: Canada
Year: 2019
Language: English
Runtime: 17 min.
Rated: PG

Credits

Producer: Frankie Pirolo Foss
Executive Producer: Kate Maciejowski, Will Pennartz, Doug Thielen
Director Of Photography: Benjamin Johnson
Creative Direction and Story: Al James
Original Music: Jay Clarke
Key Cast: Gary Edinger
Production Company: Foss Media

Connect With This Film

BIFF - Beloit International Film Festival
BIFF | Beloit International Film Festival