Directed by Robert Fortier in 1981 and provided today by the National Film Board of Canada, this feature-length documentary was shot over a period of 5 years and introduces viewers to Ken Carter, a Montreal-born stunt driver who made a living by risking his life. The film shines a light on the intense preparation that led to Carter's first attempt to jump a car across a mile-wide stretch of the St. Lawrence River—a 5-year period during which the dare-devil raised a million dollars, erected a 10-storey take-off ramp and built a rocket-powered car.
The Devil at Your Heels: Is this for real? [National Film Board of Canada]
Sadly, Carter was killed in September 1983 when his rocket-powered car overshot a ramp in Peterborough by 30 metres and crashed during a stunt show. He was 45 years old when he died.
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