Kelly McFarland
We first heard about the Mind Over Matter documentary when we covered this years Mammoth Film Festival. We were then lucky enough to be able to watch the full documentary.
Mind Over Matter wrote by Nate Adams and Sébastien Paquet ( who also directs the film) tells the true story of Brandon Mendenhall. A man with cerebral palsy overcoming a paralyzed left hand, bullies and stereotypes; dreaming of becoming a rock guitarist even while being told he will never succeed
“They see the disability first and not the person.”
Brandon Mendenhall
Brandon was born premature, the umbilical chord wrapped around his neck, cutting off circulation to his brain. He was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, the name for a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and co-ordination, caused by a problem with the brain that occurs before, during or soon after birth.
He was told he would never play music. He was bullied horrifically as child because of his Cerebral Palsy.
Brandon looked up to the band Korn. In particular, he related to their song Blind.
He found he could relate it to what he went through as a child and it was “so impactful on my life.”
All he wanted was to play guitar like his inspiration “Munky” from Korn. The desire to play the guitar and to prove his Grandfather,-who was his harshest critic- wrong, were the main reasons he rehabillitated his left hand. He was able to move his fingers individually after a couple of years. His speech and co-ordination also improved.
The Mind Over Matter documentary is an intensely powerful story. It shows how music can heal, how music can bring people together and help them to improve their lives and follow their dreams. It is one of the most powerful and uplifting documentaries we have watched in awhile. It’s well worth a watch, A portion of the proceeds from the film are being donated UCP ( United Cerebral Palsy).
You can watch Mind Over Matter here.
Let us know what you think of the inspirational documentary, Mind Over Matter at @CelebMix!
