Background
Logan Smalley was a counselor at a 'Project REACH' camp, a facility set up to give the experiences of being at 'camp' to children with disabilities, when he met Darius Weems. He had first met Darius' brother Mario, who was himself suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Mario had asked Logan to "look out for my little brother", and Logan took that promise to heart.
After reading a copy of a letter Darius had penned to MTV's show Pimp My Ride in which Darius had asked them to consider refurbishing his wheelchair, Smalley organized a cross-country trip for Darius to Los Angeles, which to the group became known as the 'Darius Goes West Project'. After having previously been to the Cannes Film Festival, Smalley recognized the opportunity and importance of documenting the trip. The 7,000 mile, 25-day trip resulted in 300 hours of video.
According to DVD Talk, "including Weems, over half of the documentary team was under the age of 20, including Smalley's younger brother Ben, 18. The oldest person on the crew was Daniel Epting, 24. The group not only handled the camera and sound equipment, they cared for Weems, helping him with day-to-day tasks like using the bathroom."
The documentary was dedicated to Darius's brother, Mario, who also had Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Mario died at age 19.
Read more about this topic: Darius Goes West
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