April 13, 2011 / Modified oct 13, 2011 3:09 p.m.

STRONGMAN

Meet Zachary Levy, the filmmaker behind a new independent documentary about modern-day strongman Stanless Steel, a man holding onto his dreams with both hands.

strongman scrap metal spotlight Stanless Steel supports his strongman career by working as a scrap metal dealer in South Brunswick, New Jersey.
Zach Levy

On the surface, you may think you would have little in common with Stanless Steel, the real-life star of the documentary film STRONGMAN. After all, Stan is a man who performs stunts like bending pennies with his bare fingers, driving nails into metal using his hands as hammers, and letting trucks park on his chest.

But, as independent filmmaker Zachary Levy discovered, underneath Stan's tough-as-steel exterior is a sensitive, philosophical man, one who firmly believes that his great strength derives as much from his inner confidence as it does his outer musculature.

strongman poster portrait

Viewing what Stanless Steel does as a form of outsider art, Levy spent almost 10 years documenting Stan, his family, and his daily life as truthfully as possible. Levy chose not to use typical documentary film techniques, like interviews or archival footage, in order to present a realistic and humanist portrayal of the struggles and accomplishments of this unique man.

strongman barbara spotlight Barbara, Stan's longtime partner, is also the announcer at his stunt performances.
Zach Levy

Here is the trailer for STRONGMAN:

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