Synopsis
In June 2004, BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner was shot six times by Al-Qaeda gunmen whilst reporting on growing terrorist activity in Saudi Arabia. The bullets damaged his spinal nerves, and at the age of 43 Frank was left partially paralysed and has used a wheelchair ever since.
Sixteen years later, Frank has never fully got used to being disabled. In this deeply personal film, he talks candidly about the effects his injuries have had on his life, work, relationships and the way he views himself. He also meets others responding to life-changing injuries to explore the impact of sudden disability.
Frank tells the story of how he became a BBC correspondent in the 1990s and the film includes never-before-seen footage of the last report that Frank and cameraman Simon Cumbers were making just prior to the attack by Al-Qaeda, during which Simon lost his life, and Frank very nearly didn’t make it.
Travelling to report for the BBC from the Colombian rainforest, Frank wrestles with the frustration of being dependent on others. With the considerable physical challenges he faces, and knowing that the psychological recovery after a life-changing injury can take years, he continues to live life to the full. Ultimately he is really very happy, just being Frank.
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Director
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Charlie Russell,
Dov Freedman
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Genre
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Documentary
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Original Language
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English
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Runtime
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1h 0m
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