Charged: The Eduardo Garcia Story (Phillip Baribeau, 2017) : USA, Mexico

Reviewed by Laurine Lambert. Viewed at the Arlington theatre, Santa Barbara Film Festival 2017.

This documentary tells about the life of Eduardo Garcia. Eduardo was a successful yacht chef. In 2011 he got shocked by a 2400 volt power line, he almost died.  Phillip Baribeau follows him through this tough journey. Phillip Baribeau is the director and cinematographer. He funded the documentary through the website Kickstarter. Kickstarter is the biggest fundraiser website where people can donate money to a cause. Their goal was to reach a budget of approximately $150.000, but they managed to raise 165,099! This was the opening film at the Santa Barbara Film Festival 2017, and the worldwide premiere of Charged.

Eduardo went hunting in his hometown Montana and spotted a bear carcass. He went to the bear with his knife, but he had no idea that the bear was on a power source. You notice right in the beginning of the documentary that Eduardo doesn’t give up easily. While he was burned, he managed to walk and find help. They send him straight to a special burning hospital. His burns were so serious that his arm had to be amputated. While Eduardo was making progress, he also got diagnosed with testicular cancer. Eduardo’s best friend Jenni supported him from the beginning. She filmed most footage, and stayed with him in the hospital.

The documentary shows his tough recovery. It does not only shows his recovery, but also his relationship with Jenni. They used to be a couple, but in the documentary it will show you that they are true friends. Not only the relationship between Jenni, but also with Eduardo’s father comes up. Eduardo had to deal with a lot of emotions. Family, relationship, and his recovery. Charged is not only about hospital scenes. They also filmed his life outside the hospital, his relationships, emotions and how to overcome pain and loss. The cinematography was beautiful, it was filmed in Montana.  You see a lot of nature. This documentary tells a true survival story. It shows you how something horrible can happen to you, how to accept it. Garcia’s kept going with a smile on his face doing still the things that he loves, cooking, hiking, biking.

Eduardo’s story really shows you something. It is truly an inspiring story. Everybody was touched by the documentary in the theatre. I totally recommend it to watch this documentary.