Running Down A Dream: The making of a film

…a great story that deserves to be read. – Astrid Lustulin Readers Favorite Have you ever had a dream that something bad happened to someone you know, then it came true? That’s what happened to Paul Gorman in 1981 when his friend, skydiver Joan Carson, died in a mysterious skydiving accident – eight years after his dream.

Thirty years passed and the dream started again. What could it mean? As a filmmaker, Gorman does the logical thing: he decides to make a documentary film about Carson hoping to unlock the mystery of his dream.

In the spirit of Into the Wild and Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, and Wild by Cheryl Strayed, Gorman’s book tells the remarkable true story about Carson’s life and the making of his 2014 award winning documentary film, Ride the Sky. Starting with her death in Montana, he retraces her nomadic life across four western states back to her childhood. His journey reveals a cult-like band of skydivers addicted to the adrenaline rush of living on the edge and jumping out of airplanes at their homemade airport in the wilderness. And the queen of this colony is former cheerleader Joan Carson.

As Gorman continues peeling away the layers of Carson’s past, he uncovers what he believes caused the accident and the meaning of his dream. In the end, this past reconnects with the present in a most surprising and emotional way. The result is an engrossing tale that raises questions about life, death, destiny and what really happened that fateful day.

Nostalgic and reverential, beautifully written and rich in emotion. – The Prairies Book Review

Paul Gorman provides a most fascinating insider look into making his film about a trailblazing female skydiver…A beautiful and moving true story. – SL - Amazon Reviewer