135 Miles to Freedom

Short Film

Joe is a short documentary about Joe Gagnon, who has run every single day since 2001, with an Excel sheet to prove it. Quirky and rigorous, Joe has built his life around an obsessive discipline for running. He has completed six marathons on six continents in six days, along with hundreds of endurance events, from ultramarathons to triathlons.

We meet him as he prepares to take on Badwater 135, widely considered one of the toughest foot races in the world. 135 miles in under 48 hours, through Death Valley, California, in temperatures reaching 120°F.

Blending present-day race prep, vérité footage of Joe's curious habits, and 90's VHS era glimpses of who he was before running became his identity, the film becomes less about the race itself and more about what endurance reveals.