Sean (2014)

Sean (2014) – Amazing Documentary

In the latest installment of Mainline’s renowned Tribute series, director Ryan Reichenfeld returns to his hometown of Lake Havasu City to tell the story of Arizona teenager Sean. A small-town skate enthusiast with dreams of making it big, he wakes up every morning at 3:30 AM to flip burgers at Jack In The Box restaurant, earning just $60 a day. In this special short film, Reichenfeld shows us the alienating and ugly – as well as beautiful and touching – parts of the world surrounding Sean. It is a raw and compassionate portrait of the difficulties of growing up, and captures a way of life that is rarely seen on this side of the lens. Mainline’s AG Rojas caught up with Reichenfeld to discuss exactly what inspired him about Sean and his unassuming way of life.

Ryan Reichenfeld is name you should get used to hearing. The man’s ambition might exceed his grasp, but by God, he has one hell of a grasp on what he’s doing. After Justin Timberlake, Adidas and RAC came calling, a lot of people started tuning into his way of thinking. Ryan Reichenfeld is known for his work on Justin Timberlake: TKO (2013), Cannibal Suburbia (2007) and Things You Don’t Tell… (2006).

I’ve always been attracted to eccentric, ballsy, sensitive, lone wolf, weirdos. Growing up, I didn’t care about anything but skateboarding. If it didn’t have to do with skateboarding I didn’t want to hear about it, waste my time with it, because it was probably lame. My favorite skateboarder, and part role model, is Heath Kirchart. He’s the human incarnation of “speak softly and carry a big stick” or “actions speak louder than words”. As I expanded my horizons after I got injured I discovered Ernest Hemingway. The Sun Also Rises and A Moveable Feast spoke to me, the way the characters carried themselves through life and how they dealt with problems made me feel less alone. After I got hurt skateboarding and couldn’t continue a career with it I was taken about by a slew of directors for different reasons. Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick, P.T. Anderson, Spike Jonze, Jonathan Glazer. They all seemed to focus on honesty in a different ways, and the way they stylized their honesty is what interested me. – Ryan Reichenfeld

Directed by Ryan Reichenfeld.

2015 Kinsale Sharks Nominee for Best Documentary
2015 Kinsale Sharks Nominee for The Free Thinkers Award

Commisioned by MAINLINE as part of the TRIBUTE series on DAZED (dazeddigital.com/tribute)