The Daily Iowan Documentary Workshop’s first-released documentary gives a behind-the-scenes look into the blood, sweat, and tears of the historic Iowa wrestling program. “Chasing Greatness: Wrestling Life” is directed by VII’s Danny Wilcox Frazier, who also serves as the workshop’s director.
The workshop is part of the University of Iowa’s 154-year-old independent student newspaper, The Daily Iowan, and functions as a training ground where students and early-career documentary filmmakers and photographers work alongside seasoned professionals.
Students are trained as directors throughout the entire process, Frazier said, which is the workshop’s goal in developing the next generation of visual storytellers.
The film, streaming now on B1G+, brings viewers behind the curtain as student-athletes — wrestlers from one of the greatest collegiate programs in history — grapple with athletics and their personal lives. Frazier was joined on the film by UI and Daily Iowan alumni Jason Brummond (Executive Producer) and John Richard (Executive Editor), as well as four workshop students, including Ryan Adams, Jenna Galligan, Ayrton Breckenridge, and Daniel McGregor-Huyer.
