If you enjoyed the Academy Award nominated film, 127 Hours then Monday, March 14th is your chance to see the real Aron Ralston in the flesh. The Associated Students of the University of Utah have invited Ralston to speak at the Union Ballroom at 7pm, and it’s free with your U of U student ID.
Non-students can purchase tickets for $15.
In addition, a free screening of 127 Hours will also be playing the following night, March 15th at the Post Theater at 7 pm. For more information about the Free Film Series, click here.
Ralston will speak about his ordeal in southern Utah’s Blue John Canyon that was dramatized in the film. Those of us living in Utah are well versed in the tale of Aron Ralston, the man who famously became stuck in the slot canyon when a chockstone came loose and smashed his hand, pinning it to the stone wall. In an act of courage, determination and desperation, Ralston cut off his hand in order to escape after days of waiting for a rescue that never came. The story made world headlines and turned Ralston into the poster-child of gritty, wilderness survival.
But don’t expect Ralston to only dwell on the gory details of his entrapment. During his speaking tours, he always comes with an uplifting message. Beyond the narrative of the self-amputation is a message that our own lives mean nothing without the love of the people around us, that that love, coupled with the will to live, can make us do extraordinary things.
For more information, visit the ASUU webpage.