(gentle music) - Welcome to "WFYI Presents Heartland Film".

I'm your host, Aric Hartvig.

And I'm here at the Living Room Theater to celebrate this year's Indie Shorts International Film Festival.

On this edition, we'll be turning the spotlight on Indiana with two Heartland shorts featuring Hoosier characters.

Did you know that the Michael Jordan of jumping rope lives in Westfield, Indiana?

- I like to prove people wrong.

- Despite his parents urging him to be one of those doctors, lawyers and such, David Fisher turned his passion into a career.

He exploded onto the jump rope scene in the 90s, appearing on over 100 national TV programs to performing for presidents like Clinton and Bush.

25 years later, David now primarily performs for school assemblies.

As physical injuries intensify, could it be time to hang up the rope?

And then we have two Warren Central High School wrestlers who share about their lives.

David Pierson and Jeivan Ross endure family and neighborhood challenges that form a true brotherhood beyond the map.

Later we'll catch up with the filmmakers behind these Heartland shorts.

And we'll talk with Heartland's own Jessica Chapman about the upcoming festival.

But first, let's check out "The Rope Warrior".

(dramatic music) - Forgot my ball.

Cause that's what ends my routine.

(dramatic music continues) - [Interviewer] Your job basically is?

David Fisher performs the magical rope jump.

- David Fisher.

- David Fisher.

- David Fisher.

- The Rope Warrior.

- The Rope Warrior.

- [Man] Rope Warrior.

- [Children] Rope Warrior.

- [David] Oh, well I jump rope for a living.

I'm the Rope Warrior.

- Look up.

Nose hairs.

Hopefully there's no angles from down below.

(laughs) - My name is David Fisher, also known as the Rope Warrior, and I'm a professional rope jumper.

I started jumping rope to train for volleyball and somebody said, hey, you know, there are people that do assemblies at schools for a living.

It just kind of exploded from there.

- I hate jump roping.

I hate jump rope and everything about it.

It's true.

It was like almost like love at first sight.

The kind of stuff that you never think is gonna happen, it happened.

Saw his show for the first time.

It was like our first date.

He went up there.

He's like, look, I'm gonna get into this pink balloon.

And if you see me stop moving, you're gonna have to run up there and pop it because I'm dying.

I just met this guy and it was just crazy.

I just thought it's amazing that this educated Jewish man decided to make a living out of that and he loves it and there's nothing he'd rather do.

And I love that about him.

David comes off very shy, but you know, you get him on stage and he's a total ham.

Have you met his parents?

I think they contributed to David's shyness.

- When did we get over our shock of being the parents of the Rope Warrior?

- Well, we've never really gotten over the shock.

- Growing up in a Jewish family, guilt is a big motivator at times.

- My struggle was more of also with what parents expected of you.

That's sort of what life is like growing up on the north shore in Chicagoland.

- So I guess it wasn't the easiest sell to my parents and the rest of my family that I was gonna be a professional rope jumper.

- Well, I have tried to counsel him out of it.

- [News Reporter] Mr. And Mrs. Fisher raised their children in the upscale village of Winnetka, Illinois.

Here they stressed the importance of a college diploma.

One son is a CPA.

One son is a lawyer.

And one son is the Rope Warrior.

- People in my family say what?

What's a professional jump roper?

And you can't make a living of that.

- I mean, that didn't seem to be the kind of thing that he should want to do.

- Or how he's gonna be able to support himself and then later a family.

- Congratulations Mrs. Fisher, you've given birth to an unemployable adult male.

- I think that's something that's always motivated me.

I like to prove people wrong.

- And an income that David projects will jump into the corporate executive six figure range next year.

♪ Check him out ♪ - Man's amazing.

♪ He's the Rope Warrior ♪ ♪ Ropes so fast he's a blur ♪ ♪ Watch him dance to the groove ♪ - I would like to learn to jump like him.

♪ Ropes so fast he's a blur ♪ ♪ Watch him dance to the groove ♪ - The weirdest world record holders you've ever seen.

- [TV Host] Which one is the real David Fisher?

♪ Rope Warrior ♪ - But I hope it doesn't inspire any more Rope Warriors.

One is enough.

- Vicki Lawrence show, Jenny Jones show.

I was not on Seinfeld.

This was in Malaysia where we did this.

This was in every grocery store in Malaysia.

They filled in my hair in the picture.

- [Jeremy] There's no doubt there's an aspect of David that's sort of a cockiness but I guess that's a part of who he is.

Look at me, you know, I'm famous.

It's an aspect of vanity.

- I still think about some of those people in high school that I went to school with that were great athletes that maybe didn't wanna include me in a pickup game of basketball or whatever.

And I'm the one that turned out to be the professional athlete.

As an entertainer, I'm like a rock star.

The kids are screaming.

- Wow Rope Warrior, that was awesome.

- It can be difficult to keep him grounded and based in reality.

And I think having children does that for him.

- No.

- Ooh, goodbye.

- I would describe him as goofball, silly, very creative.

He's always singing.

- No need wretch or wine or fetch at Nana's potluck.

Did she cook this?

Ask your tookus three or four hours later.

Got good laughs at the bar mitzvah.

- I don't always divulge what my husband does to people right away.

♪ You're the best around ♪ ♪ Nothing's ever gonna bring you down ♪ - It was torture.

- Like if I'm mentioning to a friend that, oh yeah, my dad has a world record.

Like if they question like, oh, what's it for?

I'd say jump roping.

But if they want more explanation, like yeah, he jump ropes on his butt.

- For something we like to call rump jumping - I call it tush ups.

They called it rump jumps.

- [TV Host] It's getting harder.

It's getting more painful.

You can see that.

- I gotta get this right the first time I do it.

Made a mistake, a slight hobble.

- [TV Host] One.

(applause) 56, 56 a minute.

- Most people think when they find out what he does, that it's really, really cool.

And then of course they find out that his body is deteriorating.

- If I were dealing with what David was dealing with, with the multiple hip surgeries and everything else that he was dealing with, I probably wouldn't continue jumping, especially on a replaced joint.

- He's lived with pain for so long that I think it's just part of who he is.

- Still got it.

- Sometimes my friends would go like that's silly, stuff like that.

But I would say it's actually harder than you think.

And I think it's really cool that he can do that.

- He'll work if he has the flu, he won't cancel a show.

I don't think he's ever canceled a show.

- I think I'll continue to do this until I'm physically inable to do it.

And maybe there's a way to do the show from a wheelchair.

I don't know.

I'd have to think about that.

- It's this topic that maybe we're both a little bit in denial of.

David, time to think about the next chapter.

David, what are we gonna do in 10 years?

All the time.

We're always having this conversation.

And I think for David it's not something he wants to think about, talk about until he's faced with the reality that he's done.

- But it's hard giving up being a performer, as someone that maybe didn't fit in with all the most popular groups, there's probably a little of that in being someone now that seeks the limelight and seeks some attention.

It could be that I'm trying to fulfill some needs that I had in high school perhaps.

(children chatting) (tense music) I think when I was younger, being famous was important to me.

Now it's more important that I feel like I'm a good teacher and that I'm passing something along.

- With this time (indistinct) please welcome David Fisher, the Rope Warrior.

(applause) (applause continues) - I mean, even the days that I'm hurting or physically, you get a reaction like that, that adrenaline starts kicking in.

- [Renee] I'm always scared but you have to admire a guy who is so passionate he feels nothing is gonna stop him.

- [Jeremy] I think probably David, if he stays in shape, he could probably jump until he's in his 70s.

- [Renee] In some way we might be stoking his fires to do more than anyone thinks is possible.

- I guess I don't wanna think about the next phase or start pursuing that until it's actually time to retire.

And I guess I say that to everybody because giving this up is a hard thing for me to do.

And here it is, another opportunity to prove everybody wrong.

♪ He's the Rope Warrior ♪ ♪ Jumps so fast it's a blur ♪ - This is a live stage show.

♪ Give him room he'll bust a move ♪ ♪ He's the Rope Warrior ♪ - So Before we jump out here.

But let me tell you.

The real rewarding thing for me always is seeing the look in the children's faces when I perform.

Where did I get that light from?

Kids who get their arms moving.

- [Crew] You were there.

- I know, I was right there.

- [Crew] You were fine.

You were perfect.

- So thanks for listening.

(crew cheering) ♪ He'll blow you away, this guy jumps on his butt ♪ - Hi, I'm Andrew Bourne.

- And I'm Daniel Feldman.

I first heard about the Rope Warrior from my partner, Andrew, who pitched the idea to make a documentary about this man who holds the record for the most consecutive jumps on his butt.

And I was just immediately intrigued because personally I like documentaries about kind of larger than life characters.

And this seemed like definitely that.

He seemed like an underdog and I'm inspired by documentarians like the Maysleys brothers and D. A. Pennebaker who kind of go at documentaries in a very direct cinema, veritae is the term kind of approach where you just kind of let the documentary unfold to yourself as a filmmaker and see what comes together in the edit.

And I think that was very much the case with this project.

- My mom actually was friends with David in college and played volleyball with him while he was in Atlanta.

And I had heard about him and thought he was kind of interesting and quirky and basically asked Daniel, hey, do you want to make this documentary for school basically, for our college's film program?

And we decided to go to Chicago and Indiana and meet the Rope Warrior.

- David is really a miraculous inspirational guy.

He's a family man.

He's funny.

At times he's introverted, he's smart, he's thoughtful.

And I think overall his perseverance stands out the most in his character.

He loves to prove people wrong and he's a showman and it comes with a lot of ego.

But with David, it really only has the most positive intent.

- He basically led us into his entire life.

We met his wife, his kids, his parents, and his personal trainer and another childhood friend.

And so he was really open with us and he had a lot of dad jokes.

So yeah, he was fun to be around for sure.

- It is extremely important for local filmmakers to tell local stories.

I'm a big advocate of the saying that storytellers should write what they know and tell stories about places that they've grown up in or lived for a long time.

Because in my opinion, that's some of the most authentic art that we have and we'll ever have.

And you can really feel that as an audience member when a filmmaker is really close to their subject matter.

- I think that every filmmaker comes from a different unique place.

And so when they're telling stories about their hometown or about people in their hometown, like Daniel is telling a story of someone who's from the north shore of Chicago, where Daniel is from.

And I think that that's really exciting because filmmakers are basically giving audiences a part of themselves and where they're from.

So it's really cool to see different cities in America, not just New York or LA get represented on films, especially independent films and by people that are actually from those states - At the end of the day, it doesn't matter the quality of the cinematography or what camera you used.

If the story's good, it will get through the people.

- We're here for the fifth annual Academy Award Qualifying Indie Shorts International Film Festival running July 19th through the 24th where you could witness 150 of the greatest shorts on earth.

We have categories like horror, comedy, romance, Indiana spotlight.

We also have some new interesting partnerships with MTV documentary films as well as LA Times.

And they've actually curated their own shorts programs.

So you'll have a lot of options to choose from.

There's 25 programs in total, you can watch these short films at living room theaters, at new fields, indoors or outdoors, as well as the Indianapolis Art Center.

on Saturday, July 23rd, we have two short films that include the star Coleman Domingo from "Fear The Walking Dead.

And he is actually coming into Indianapolis for these screenings.

And we're honoring him with the Pioneering Spirit Award.

So he's just one of the many filmmakers and stars that you'll see that are traveling in for Indianapolis.

And they'll be available for Q&As after their screenings.

We have three Indiana spotlight programs this year and those are all showcasing short films by Indiana filmmakers or they're shot in Indiana.

And it's pretty cool to see your neighbor next door.

You never really know what organizations are gonna be on the big screen.

And you can just learn a lot about the Indianapolis community by coming out and seeing those short films.

- Now wrestling is a tough sport.

I know from my own experience with it, but David and Jeivan faced way more than sweating it out to cut weight.

Here's "Mental Toughness Xtra Effort".

- Police searched for a suspect after a shooting on the east side.

- And where six people were shot.

- [Anchor] Following a shooting investigation on the east side of Indianapolis.

- [Man] You have kids that go through things that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.

- [Anchor] Indianapolis woman was shot and killed.

- [Man] Arrested more than 30 suspected gang members on drug and weapons charges.

(dramatic music) - The beauty of this sport is you don't make excuses.

You go out there and you shake your opponent's hand.

And at the end of the day, it's on you.

- [David] For me when I'm wrestling, it feels calm.

I just try to relax and breathe because I know all the preparation that I've done.

- [Jeivan] DP's the slick one, he has the big moves.

He'll hit you with stuff you don't see coming.

(applause) (man cheering) - I don't get flustered.

If anything, you'll see me smirking a match.

It's not me being cocky.

It's not me being flamboyant.

It's me just keeping myself calm and collect and keeping my mind on the match.

- [Announcer] David Pierson to mat 10.

(audience chatter) - [Matthew] Circle, circle, circle.

Yes, yes.

Pull him in.

Elbows tight.

(applause) Okay.

So get your groups and get set, get set.

- [David] Wrestling has taught me that nothing comes easy in life.

You have to fight if you want something.

- That's a personal problem, son.

Get stronger.

Be struggling.

(coaches cheering) Here's the deal, champions always do what?

- [Wrestlers] Extra.

Extra, exactly, exactly.

So make sure you guys are in there.

You need a ride, find a ride.

You wanna stay up in the coaches office, whatever it is, do homework between now and six, that's fine.

I'll be up there doing stuff, okay?

Make sure you guys are doing everything possible.

We got a great opportunity this year.

Take advantage of it, capiche?

- [Man] (indistinct) on three, one, two, three.

(wrestlers chanting) - No matter what, we're family.

We know that.

We love each other to death and that we're not gonna let anything fly past us.

- DP's The slickster, Ross would more be the muscle guy.

He's gonna come out.

He's gonna bow you.

- [Jeivan] My name's Jeivan Ross.

Everybody calls me Ross.

I've been wrestling for Warren, every school league, middle school, elementary, all the way to high school.

- Pressure.

Come on buddy, pressure.

Hips, hips, hips.

Come on, buddy.

Come on, come on, base up, base up.

You're reaching like this.

And then your head's nowhere to protect yourself.

So he's just beating your arm defense already.

- [David] Ross's personality.

He's pretty reserved.

It takes a while for him to really open up to you.

He keeps his feelings to himself, and his wrestling, I'd say it's completely different.

- [David] His wrestling is like dangerous.

He's put people in headlocks and made them go to sleep.

- Once he gets you, it's a wrap.

Actually, Jeivan is my nephew.

His mom had some hard times and whatnot.

So I spoke to her and she's like, okay, it's best, she allowed him to come and live with us.

So Jeivan, he's my son, I've had him since he was five.

- That's tough.

That's gonna be messed up all game.

- Come on now.

Bro, that's how you know they're bad.

Who's right here?

Oh, Denzel?

Okay, we're good.

I've grown up in the same house in the same place for my whole life.

So it's like, after I get done, I want to come back.

It's just something I know I want to do.

Me and Ross's relationship is close.

I've grown up with him my whole life.

He's a cousin of mine, but we live together.

So we're basically brothers.

He will act as if he's my brother.

If any of us have a question, I'm going to him for reference, for help.

And we've always been competitive back and forth.

I'm two days older than him.

So anything he can do, I try to do better.

If I didn't have him in my life, I wouldn't be the same person I am today.

I wouldn't be as successful as I am today in wrestling and academics and all aspects of life.

So, I mean, I'm just grateful for him.

- Police are asking for help to find the person who shot a 14 year old boy who was just sitting in his room.

- Oh, I'm bleeding.

I thought the boy had come in the house and nicked his forehead is what I thought.

- The boy wasn't the target, but he was hit by a stray bullet from a hit and run that happened last Tuesday, just outside his home on the east side.

- He said his nose was bleeding.

And that's when I got a little fearful.

We just took off and we ran red lights.

We got to the hospital.

Nurse or somebody said, yeah, I can feel the bullet right there.

- As soon as I turned my head, one went straight through my window, shot me right in the head, fractured one of the plates in my forehead and got stuck in the other.

Disney Duals was June 14th.

So I got 14, 15 days to heal, get ready for the team.

- [David II] It was a good thing that he's hard headed.

- [Jeivan] I had a tournament, I won eight to one, seven to one.

- Once I felt that he was okay, that's kind of just what I expected.

- Wrestling has definitely taught me perseverance to fight the things, to not just get up when things are tough.

When you have people you can depend on, it makes life a lot easier if you always know something's gonna go right.

- [Matthew] At the end of the day, like, yeah, we wanna win state titles, who doesn't?

Someone tells you they don't, get out of coaching.

But more importantly than that is I want our wrestlers to be able to come back in here at 5, 10, 15 years down the road and be like, that guy made me a man.

- We push all them to be better people, to make better decisions on and off the mat.

- At the end of the day, it's like a wrestling match.

It's on you.

Take advantage of those opportunities and good things will happen.

I told you guys my greatest wish, it's not that you win state.

Yeah, of course we wanna win state.

We're one of the best damn programs in the state.

It's what we do, we bring home championships, but (indistinct) should be a good young man.

Come back here 10 years from now, being that good husband, a good father, that means more to me than any winning we'll ever get.

Capiche?

Awesome.

Love you guys.

- That our motto, MTXE, right here.

And I mean, it's "Mental Toughness Xtra Effort".

And I just feel like that's how we shape ourself into that motto.

And I feel like that's why we've been so successful.

- We hope you've enjoyed these Heartland shorts.

There's a lot more to be discovered at this year's Indie Shorts International Film Festival.

For more information, log on to HeartlandFilm.org.

Thanks for watching.

And we'll see you in theaters this summer.

(upbeat music)