My Challenges Will Not Define Me

Living in London, Chris’s personal connection to North Wales often draws him back to the area. Steeped in an intriguing and tragic history, the now-defunct Dinorwic slate quarry draws in awe-struck sightseers, marvelling at the scale of this imposing landmark, it’s also a rock climber’s paradise. The combination of unique scenery and temperamental Welsh weather systems made the quarry the ideal location for capturing the evolving mood of the film.

‘All my family is based in Wales so there’s always this sort-of force that’s driving me back to make films there, to tell stories,’ says Chris. ‘It’s so unique. You’d struggle to find anywhere else like it in the world. The weather moves super fast, so continuity can be quite problematic. But at the same time, if it rains, there’s always a chance that there’s going to be a bright spell afterwards. We were able to use that changing of weather and light at what felt like a really transitional point in the film, and in a way that linked Delyth’s story to the natural forces at play.’

The film was shot as Covid-19 lockdown and travel restrictions were lifted, making its underpinning themes even more apposite as people clamoured to reconnect with the outside world. For Chris, being locked-down in London put the power of place and landscape into sharp focus, and the importance of sharing these elements with others through the film.

‘I think there’s a longing amongst people, something within the last two to four years especially, that has made people want to branch out and get into the wild,’ says Chris. ‘Being outdoors can have such a profound effect on people’s mental health and for me, it’s become an important factor too. Breaking away from the city – it’s like a reset. And I think those particular things are guiding me as a filmmaker too, those mountainous or coastal terrains, the influence they have on us and the way we interact with them are becoming big parts of my storytelling.’

Being outdoors can have such a profound effect on people’s mental health

The paradoxic nature of Delyth’s symptoms in relation to climbing was something that Chris found particularly poignant, and whilst searching for a subject for his filmic passion project, relatability and purpose were at the forefront of his mind.

‘I think what interested me most about Delyth’s story was that she had a condition that affected her movement as well as her mental and physical state, and what a climber really needs is to have that mind – body exchange,’ says Chris. ‘I was also looking for somebody that wasn’t a professional athlete or anything, I wanted somebody who was just very normal, someone who wasn’t just doing this thing, but had some form of purpose behind their climbing. I knew that if I was going to make a film about something like climbing, it needed also to relate to other things, and to be relatable to people outside of the sport.’

Whilst Rise is undeniably a story about Delyth and her battle to feel at peace in her own body and mind, accessibility and the overcoming of obstacles are themes which Chris believes a lot of people can relate to.

‘Honestly, FND wasn’t something I had heard of before,’ he says. ‘But by listening to Delyth’s experiences and doing some research, I got to learn a lot more about the condition and how it affects more people than you’d think.

‘Delyth has her own experience of it, but if you speak to somebody else, it’s completely different, in the same way we all face our own individual challenges in life. So whilst Rise is about FND in part, it isn’t necessarily solely a story about the condition. It’s about tenacity and a desire to do something, and not to be held back by it. I think a lot of people can probably relate to that, with something they’ve experienced and had to overcome.’

It’s about tenacity and a desire to do something, and not to be held back by it