Body of Work
A Documentary By
Cassidy Rast and Odin Wadleigh
Featuring The Life and Art of Eric Anfinson
About the Film
Body of Work is a cinematic portrait of Eric Anfinson whose life-changing high school spinal cord injury redirected his life into an extraordinary journey of recovery, self-discovery, and art, told through 8mm, cinematic recreations, intimate interviews, and archival footage.
About Artist Eric Anfinson
In 1985, at the age of 16, Eric was critically injured in a high school football game in the small town of Austin Minnesota. Following years of recovery, and extraordinary life experiences, he embraced his artistic calling and moved to the island of Key West, Florida. Throughout his 20 year career he created over 700 paintings, exhibitions and has established an international following of collectors.
Directors Statement
We created this film to share a glimpse of Eric’s life and to highlight the extraordinary challenges he has overcome on his journey to becoming an artist. We are honored to be a part of sharing Eric's story.
The film uses cinematic recreations, interviews, and archival footage to portray Eric’s past and present. Produced independently through community support, the film was shot on location in Austin, Minnesota and the island of Key West Florida.
We are grateful to all the communities that have been a part in making this film possible.
Critic Reviews
Review From Battle Royal With Cheese
Review From Battle Royal With Cheese
Review From Battle Royal With Cheese
Body of Work is a quietly powerful documentary that reframes the idea of artistic creation. Directed by Cassidy Rast and Odin Wadleigh, the film follows painter Eric Anfinson, whose life was irrevocably altered after a spinal cord injury during a high school football game left him a quadriplegic. Rather than centering the film on that moment of trauma, the directors focus on the life that unfolded afterwards, revealing a portrait of an artist shaped not by loss, but by discovery.
Review from Action Reloaded
Review From Battle Royal With Cheese
Review From Battle Royal With Cheese
We often think of art as something created with our hands. Body of Work quietly reminds us that the greatest masterpiece an artist can ever create may be the life they choose to live.
Directed by Cassidy Rast and Odin Wadleigh, this beautifully crafted documentary tells the story of artist Eric Anfinson, whose life changed forever after a devastating spinal cord injury during a high school football game in 1985 left him a quadriplegic. It would be easy to assume the documentary is about that tragic moment, but Body of Work has far grander ambitions. This isn’t a film about what Eric lost. It’s about everything he discovered afterwards.
Review from Scene for Scene
Review From Battle Royal With Cheese
Review from Scene for Scene
There is something profoundly moving about stories of people who refuse to let tragedy become the final chapter of their lives. ‘Body of Work’, the short documentary directed by Cassidy Rast and Odin Wadleigh, is one such story. More than a portrait of an artist, it is a testament to resilience, the healing power of creativity, and the remarkable ways people can rebuild their lives when everything they once knew is suddenly taken away.