Film at its best has the power to engage us emotionally and spiritually. It can make us think and feel, and it can resonate deeply within our souls, reminding us what it means to be human. When a film is truly great, instead of bringing about little more than Pavlovian responses to song cues and other shameless manipulations, it ignites the humanity that has been lulled into dormancy by cynicism and sensory overload and the nagging notion of our own insignificance. And that is what makes the documentary Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life a great film. Not only does it make you think and feel, it serves as a reminder that we, as human beings, have a capacity for greatness that can’t be bound by the limitations of the physical world. Logan Smalley’s documentary is a collective labor of love, put together by a dedicated group of people committed to changing the world. At the center of Smalley’s film is 15-year-old Darius Weems, a gregarious young man from Athens, Ga., confined to a wheelchair by Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Having already lost his older brother Mario to DMD, Darius and his friends want to educate the world, in hopes that increased awareness will lead to a cure for the terminal disease. To that end, they set out on a road trip from Athens to Los Angeles, where they hope MTV’s Pimp My Ride will customize Darius’ wheelchair. This is just part of Darius’ grand plan to teach his generation—a generation that knows not of Jerry Lewis and his telethons—about DMD. For Darius, who has never left his home, let alone seen the ocean, every experience on the road is a new adventure. But for those traveling with him, and those he encounters along the way, Darius’ courage, wisdom and appreciation of life is transformative. The Longbaugh Film Festival is proud to present Darius Goes West as its opening-night film. The Portland premiere of this critically acclaimed documentary also serves as a fundraiser for the nonprofit Charley’s Fund, which is dedicated to fighting Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Proceeds from the opening-night screening go to Charley’s Fund. Please join us for what not only promises to be one of the best films of the year, but to support a worthy cause as well. Director Logan Smalley is scheduled to appear, with a Q&A to follow the screening.