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.’