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Dean Potter's tragic death explained as new documentary airs
The four-episode series traces Potter’s feats, controversy and mental health struggles, with friends and family describing the climber’s complex legacy.
- HBO Max launched the four-part docuseries The Dark Wizard on Wednesday, chronicling the life and tragic death of pioneering climber Dean Potter.
- Potter became a legend in Yosemite National Park for his free solo climbs of Half Dome and El Capitan in less than 24 hours, though his stunts often courted controversy.
- On May 16, 2015, Potter died at age 42 during a wingsuit flight at Yosemite; he and partner Graham Hunt, 29, collided with a rock wall after jumping from the 7,500-foot Taft Point.
- Filmmakers Nick Rosen and Peter Mortimer aimed to present an unflinching portrait, incorporating Potter's personal diaries to explore his undiagnosed mental illness and complex relationship with climbing.
- The series examines Potter's intense rivalry with free solo climber Alex Honnold, who recently grabbed headlines for his live-streamed ascent of Taiwan's 508-metre Taipei 101 skyscraper.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Boulder filmmakers’ “The Dark Wizard” explores the tumultuous, inspiring life of Dean Potter
The opening scene of “The Dark Wizard” is a sketch of a raven with the baritone voice of Dean Potter: “When I was a boy, my first memory was this dream of falling.” Was it a premonition of death or a calling? Or both? “The Dark Wizard” — a documentary series on legendary Dean Potter by Boulder filmmakers Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen that premiered Tuesday on HBO Max — traces the impacts of the larger-than-life Potter. The still-resonating imp…
New HBO series spotlights American free soloist Dean Potter in The Dark Wizard: A review
Editor’s note: there may be spoilers in this article. A dream of falling. “I just feel it so strongly, needing to go towards that unknown and that fear,” Dean Potter is heard saying in the first minutes of the episode. It’s quite the way to start the first episode of The Dark Wizard, directed by Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen of Sender Films, the minds behind Reel Rock. The series’ debut, titled ‘The Death Consequence,’ offers a fascinating medit…
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