Rory McClellan is just 18, but he’s already about to achieve what so many filmmakers only dream about: His film is about to be screened at the Cannes International Film Festival.
Yes, you read that correctly. A teenage athlete will have a featured short flick on the docket at Cannes Film Festival, albeit in the non-awards portion of the festival. McClellan’s film, “Pride,” is an in-depth look at the life and personal struggles of a high school wrestler. To call it slightly autobiographical would probably be an understatement.
“It entails the personal struggles of what a high school wrestler has to go through, from losing a match, cutting his hair, giving up sleep at night, overcoming that first fall and getting back on his feet,” McClellan told the Los Angeles Times. “Even though life can put you on your butt and even though things might not seem good, every day you have a new opportunity, and every day you wake up with a different opportunity to change the direction of your life.”
You can see the full 13-minute film below.
If you think McClellan, a senior at El Camino Real, will be living glamorously now that he’s made the Cannes cut, you’re sadly mistaken. The teen is more focused on getting a new, higher quality camera. To that end, he’s taking on part-time work at McDonald’s and saving up money that might otherwise be going to caviar on the Riviera.
Of course, that’s not what inspired McClellan to get involved with wrestling or filmmaking. Now he’s there for much more altruistic reasons of self-growth.
“I guess you really can say I discovered my life through wrestling, because when I was in the eighth grade, I really didn’t have a purpose,” he said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do. Wrestling has given me confidence. It’s taught me how to build my body. It’s taught me about what it truly means to be successful.”