The Movie
It isn’t just the oldest dream of mankind. It is the first and sole dream of a boy whose family, one of the last remaining native Caribbean’s, lives in poverty and social isolation. And it is the last dream of an adventurer and pioneer of the airways who used to fly kings over the savannahs of Africa and the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula.
Two people, as different from each other as two can be, build their own airplane in the jungles of a Caribbean island: 78-year-old Swede Daniel Rundstroem and Rainstar, a 16-year-old Indian boy. They pursue their dream for over 3½ years, a dream for which they have sacrificed everything: they are planning to take part in one of the greatest flight shows of the world at the “Sun and Fun Festival†in Lakeland, Florida, competing against the best airplane designers.
For Daniel it is supposed to be the completion of an exciting life dedicated to flying. Rainstar, on the other hand, is at the brink of fulfilling all his dreams. The grandson of an Indian chief was born in a reservation on the island and was actually supposed to become a fisherman. Rainstar has to make as many sacrifices for his wish to become a pilot as Daniel in his time. The desire to fly and the willingness to give up everything else for it forms a rare bond between the two. In Rainstar, Daniel sees the reflection of his own life. He shares his entire wisdom about flying with him.
This is his legacy. And Rainstar is not only ready to accept this, but more than that. Without his assistance, Daniel would not have succeeded with his airplane construction in the small period of time. Rainstar has helped him over the worst periods of self-doubt and fear. They have mastered all crises over the course of four years: starting from delivery problems and the worldwide hunt for spare parts to discovering faults in the design and nagging doubts concerning the suitability of the material.
But for Daniel, it is more important that his wisdom and experience will be living on in Rainstar. That way he can compensate what he has missed with Niels-Holger, his own son. For the first time in his life, he faces the responsibility of a father. Rainstar has opened up Daniel’s eyes.The 78-year-old contacts his son in Berlin for the first time after more than ten years.
For almost four years, the documentary crew followed Daniel and Rainstar around on Dominica, the last island paradise of the Caribbean. Their big moment has finally arrived in Lakeland, Florida: Are the construction plans for their airplane correct? Did Daniel calculate everything perfectly? Will the material hold?
The documentary also follows Daniel to Berlin where he reunites with his only son after more than ten years. In Rainstar Daniel has found a companion who – for the first time in the life – understands his desires; will this experience also help him to get closer to his own son?In combination with film and photographic material from the exciting life of Daniel Rundstroem not yet shown in public, a transfixing documentary film has been produced which will not only mesmerize flight enthusiasts: a fascinating story of the passion, the dreams, and the adventures of two people and the process of self-discovery at the end of a life cycle.
Click here, If you would like to see the trailer of Celebration of Flight: The Movie.
Hi thank you for posting this. I am proud to be part of this story, making history in Dominica. I am now a Private Pilot. You can check my photos and blog on HI5.com Thank you to all of Dominica for your support in this project over the years. We certainly appreciate this since it made our dream come true. Hopefully the movie Celebration of Flight is released in 2008 or 2009. Dominicans should be proud of having an airplane built in the mountains of Cochrane! Quite a challenge considering how isolated the village, narrow the roads are.
hello Rainstar!
Congratulations for the power to take part in the projekt and for you becoming a private pilot!
If you wonder who I am, I was there in the early begin of the projekt. I was the friend of barbara (lara juliette) and it was
origanaly my idea to search behind the story the amarican lady told me in the hotel about you and the swedish pilot.
So we met in 2000. I was filming a lot with an old handcam and we had a lot of fun togethere.
Greetings to Daniel and your parents(stepparents)! Aloha! My e-mail: [email protected]
Hello everyone, thank you for watching this trailer and this inspiring story and two people who share one desire to fly. I have been invited to Munich, Germany to market and promote this film, I am very excited to promote Dominica to our audience.
Hi Rainstar, and everybody else on Dominica!
My wife and I were just having our cup of coffee, when I tuned in on German TV- canal “ZDFdocu”.
For nearly one hour we went through a lot of mixed feelings, watching your struggle with the airplane. It is a fantastic film! And you know what: years ago I bought myself a motorboat, and had a lot of trouble keeping the engine running, until I found the petrol pipe damaged. Since then my first thought in cases like that, is: hey, check your pipes! Remember this in future!
I can see from the tv-programme, that they have scheduled the film again at 4.15 European Mean Time on ZDF docu.
So, the warmest greetings from Marstal on the island of Aeroe (Ærø) in Denmark, also to Daniel,
from Bente and Aage P Kürstein
Hello Rainstar,
I can’t wait to watch your story. It’s going to be shown at “Universidad de Alicante” (Spain). Your story is an encouraging one for anyone having a desire to fullfill a difficult task in life. Thank you and Thank Daniel, as well.
Javier RodrÃguez