This Iraq war veteran has been running with the bulls since 2007
SUMMARY
A former Army officer has been running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain since 2007 — all while filming a documentary on the event which was released last month.
Each year in July, Pamplona hosts a fiesta that brings together approximately one million people for a massive party, but most people know the city for just one reason: the crazy event that sees people running as bulls chase them from behind.
Dennis Clancey, a West Point-educated Army officer who served in the Iraq War, wanted to document the run, while trying to understand why some people risk their lives in this way each year.
"This is beyond me just asking them what it is like to run," Clancey told The Chicago Sun-Times. "The film is an accurate stamp of what it means to be a runner. The experienced runners are running out of a sense of obligation. They run in part to protect other runners. If someone falls, you do what you can to distract the bulls and protect your fellow runners."
Clancey self-funded his documentary — called "Chasing Red" — from 2007 to 2011, until he met a fellow filmmaker who helped him put together a trailer for the project. The trailer helped generate interest in the project, and led to a successful backing on Kickstarter that helped raise nearly $23,000.
"It's a character-driven documentary following eight runners," Clancey told Outside Magazine. "They each have their own goals and aspirations and we follow them in their pursuits of those dreams."
The film is now available to rent or download. Here's the trailer:
SHARE