Everything is Incredible
September 25, 2012 3:09 PM Subscribe
Agustin is a Honduran shoemaker. Stricken with polio in his youth, he has spent more than 50 years creating something incredible. (SLVIMEO)
A dream has sustained him over all the decades. Does he have airplane fuel or the money to buy it? Will his chopper ever fly? Probably not unless altruists intervene.
I instantly disliked the smug man who laughed at him and said the helicopter will not be buried with him. It should be displayed with his name and story.
posted by Cranberry at 3:45 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]
I instantly disliked the smug man who laughed at him and said the helicopter will not be buried with him. It should be displayed with his name and story.
posted by Cranberry at 3:45 PM on September 25, 2012 [1 favorite]
Incredible and incredibly sad. Thanks for the post.
posted by spiderskull at 4:20 PM on September 25, 2012
posted by spiderskull at 4:20 PM on September 25, 2012
Donated. Thanks!
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 4:22 PM on September 25, 2012
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 4:22 PM on September 25, 2012
That's really awesome. At the same time, the deliberately tearjerking music pissed me off no end.
posted by owlrigh at 5:16 PM on September 25, 2012
posted by owlrigh at 5:16 PM on September 25, 2012
That is not going to fly.
posted by Jeff Mangum's Penny-farthing at 5:23 PM on September 25, 2012
posted by Jeff Mangum's Penny-farthing at 5:23 PM on September 25, 2012
I instantly disliked the smug man who laughed at him and said the helicopter will not be buried with him.
I'm pretty sure the smug man is the local Catholic priest. He seems miffed that Agustin is more interested in his own life's work than The Church.
posted by sneebler at 6:38 PM on September 25, 2012
I'm pretty sure the smug man is the local Catholic priest. He seems miffed that Agustin is more interested in his own life's work than The Church.
posted by sneebler at 6:38 PM on September 25, 2012
Not all Icarus wannabes are unsuccessful, either.
posted by sneebler at 6:45 PM on September 25, 2012
posted by sneebler at 6:45 PM on September 25, 2012
It's too bad he doesn't have access to decent resources. He salvaged everything except the rebar, which is about the worst thing I could think of to build an airframe and as a result it probably weighs two or three times what it ought. He'd be better off using wood.
posted by exogenous at 7:40 PM on September 25, 2012
posted by exogenous at 7:40 PM on September 25, 2012
That was the opposite of inspiring.
posted by legospaceman at 8:17 PM on September 25, 2012
posted by legospaceman at 8:17 PM on September 25, 2012
I instantly disliked the smug man who laughed at him and said the helicopter will not be buried with him.
They better damn bury him with his helicopter. That tsk-ing guy made me hiss like a cat.
posted by moneyjane at 3:48 AM on September 26, 2012
They better damn bury him with his helicopter. That tsk-ing guy made me hiss like a cat.
posted by moneyjane at 3:48 AM on September 26, 2012
It already flys, in his mind.
posted by cedar key at 5:54 AM on September 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by cedar key at 5:54 AM on September 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Reason number 8 quadrillon that vaccines are amazing things.
We don't thank the heavens enough that we were born into a world where polio, among other even worse things, is able to be prevented. Thanks Jerry Lewis, among many others.
posted by RolandOfEld at 6:44 AM on September 26, 2012
We don't thank the heavens enough that we were born into a world where polio, among other even worse things, is able to be prevented. Thanks Jerry Lewis, among many others.
posted by RolandOfEld at 6:44 AM on September 26, 2012
...wait, that was muscular dystrophy.... oh well... Thank Jonas Salk then!
posted by RolandOfEld at 6:48 AM on September 26, 2012
posted by RolandOfEld at 6:48 AM on September 26, 2012
Won't ever fly and it doesn't matter. He's doing it for the same reasons people make art: to challenge themselves and others, to express themselves, to dream. The goal doesn't matter. It's the journey. He seems like a cool dude.
posted by pallen123 at 12:37 PM on September 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by pallen123 at 12:37 PM on September 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
In the end we are all building helicopters aren't we? That's why this film haunted me so. The "fight of life" Agustin mentions is all of ours.
As cedar key said, "It already flys, in his mind."
and yeah, fuck that smug priest
posted by skepticbill at 12:39 PM on September 26, 2012
As cedar key said, "It already flys, in his mind."
and yeah, fuck that smug priest
posted by skepticbill at 12:39 PM on September 26, 2012
Jesus, that was the most beautiful and inspiring (yet kinda heatbreaking) film I have since since Caine's Arcade. Oh, yeah, and screw that sanctimonius prick of a priest. I got the feeling Agustin doesn't go to the church, yet the priest will deign to bury him in the cemetery there when he dies. Oh, and he also honestly doesn't know what Agustin has gained from this, but knows that it cost him way too much. Screw you. Everything is incredible!
posted by old_growler at 1:43 PM on September 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by old_growler at 1:43 PM on September 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with that priest?
posted by uberchet at 1:36 PM on September 27, 2012
posted by uberchet at 1:36 PM on September 27, 2012
A Human-Powered Helicopter: Straight Up Difficult
posted by homunculus at 8:02 PM on October 17, 2012
posted by homunculus at 8:02 PM on October 17, 2012
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Man's not crazy. He has a vision that's truly his.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 3:31 PM on September 25, 2012