In “Behind The Story: We Are Skateboarders”, the filmmaker’s (Ben Duffy) biggest battle wasn’t finding the subjects for the film or even solidifying the budget, it was finding himself during the time of production while he was suffering from undiagnosed bipolar disorder and untreated psychosis. Enduring mental illness is extraordinarily difficult, but to also be a first-time filmmaker at just 19 years old working with professional skateboarders is simply badass. With the resource of Poweredge Magazine, Ben was able to breach the egos of skateboarding legends and bring them to a humble enough place to talk about skateboarding in a time where major change was occurring; the 2008 economy crash.“Behind The Story: We Are Skateboarders” gives a raw and sincere look into what was going on in the filmmaker’s head during the time of filming. It portrays his battle against the slow torture of making a feature film with no budget and un-diagnosed mental illness. This film shows that by simply utilizing passion and perseverance, Ben Duffy was able to create one of the most successful skateboarding films ever made.
