Gleason

This feature documentary follows former American football star Steve Gleason as he faces up to an encroaching neuromuscular disease, assembling a video self-portrait for his newborn son while he still has the speech and mobility to do so. The contrast between the dynamic athlete of yore and the man we see ravaged by his condition makes this hugely affecting viewing, mainly assembled from intimate video captured by Gleason and his carers. Surprisingly, they all find moments of humour in this nightmare scenario, which serves to ease the viewer into Gleason's daunting journey. Darker aspects, such as the feelings of anger his saintly wife Michel keeps behind her supportive smile, and the connection between sporting head trauma and the onset of his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, are perhaps dialled down, but you can forgive the film-makers wanting to keep the focus on the life-affirming message put out by Gleason's dedicated (and ongoing) charity fund-raising. A truly humbling portrayal of human courage in the most testing of circumstances, Gleason delivers a seriously potent combination of heartbreak and inspiration.