Father's Day 2017 is in the books—but we couldn't let it go before presenting a look at what one film director did in collaboration with BMW to honor his father. Toby Wosskow is a young director of documentaries and narrative films. He prepared a short film for Father's Day that we believe is right up there with some of the best Hallmark Card commercials.
This one and a half-minute video titled "What Drives You?" really pays tribute to fathers and sons. Wosskow put it together with help from BMW Marketing.
When he was 14, Toby's father, whom Toby considered to be something akin to an immortal superhero, suffered a major heart attack. The near fatal attack forced Toby to realize his father was human like everyone else. That gave Toby the inspiration for his film; that, and the fact that his father had been a racecar driver for much of his life.
“When I developed the idea for this film, everything flowed so naturally because it was coming from such an honest place,” said Wosskow.
The father in "What Drives You?" is a former racer, now handicapped, who is surprised by his 16-year old son who just received his driver's license. The gift is a track ride in a new BMW M2. How the son became this proficient before his 16th birthday is a question, but it could happen.
The actor playing the father was handicapped for many years, which added to the authenticity of his portrayal.
The other stars of the film were the BMW M2 and the BMW race cars appearing in flashbacks. Good choices, Toby.
Wosskow chose to use natural light for the film, which allowed shooting only at certain times of the day. It's a short film, but it took some long days to make.
“I think we all felt like we had created something special,” Wosskow said. “It’s a universal reminder that sometimes our fathers need us just as much as we need them.”
The film touches viewers on many levels, including relationships with parents and the extraordinary experience that motorsports can bring to our lives. Watch and enjoy. You may want to have a hanky.—Scott Blazey
[Photo and video courtesy of Toby Wosskow.
