Stanless Steel supports his strongman career by working as a scrap metal dealer in South Brunswick, New Jersey.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.
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.
Barbara, Stan's longtime partner, is also the announcer at his stunt performances.Here is the trailer for STRONGMAN:
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