Documentary in Ireland Highlights Tornado Pursuer Raychel Sanner from the United States
Niamh Barry, a 27-year-old photographer from Cork, Ireland, had never seen a tornado in her country. This all changed when she embarked on a journey to the United States, during peak tornado season, to join a storm-chasing group.
Barry's initial goal was to gather wild images of nature, but she later decided to produce a full-length documentary, titled "Something In The Air." The documentary, a short film and photo series, explores the life and work of Raychel Sanner, a trans storm chaser and climate activist.
Barry researched storm chaser groups in the U.S. and found Tornado Titans run by Raychel Sanner particularly interesting. She invested approximately $14,000 into her project, with some funds coming from grants and some from her own pocket.
Niamh Barry, Raychel Sanner, and Tara Murphy (an assistant specializing in audio aspects of film) met in Dallas, Texas. During their time together, they faced the harsh social prejudices that Raychel encountered when she came out as a former star male athlete, especially in the southwestern U.S.
Despite these challenges, the documentary produced by Niamh Barry highlights Raychel Sanner's success in overcoming those prejudices. If the documentary is successful, Barry hopes to return to the U.S. next year to chase more storms and potentially expand the Sanner documentary into a feature.
The exhibition of nine photos from Barry's chasing experiences will open at the Photo Museum Ireland at the end of this month, running until October. The showing aims to help raise awareness of and interest in Barry's documentary.
Barry emphasizes that she's not in it for the money, but more for the passion of chasing and in presenting a portrait of successful trans persons to the public. If the documentary is successful, she plans to submit it to film festivals, starting with the Cork International.
On the day Niamh Barry and Tara Murphy left to return to Ireland, Raychel Sanner found a photogenic twister in Oklahoma. Raychel Sanner is a respected storm chaser with hundreds of tornadoes under her belt and is a trans person.
During non-chase days, Barry interviewed Raychel to learn more about her personal experiences. The documentary promises to be an intimate and powerful portrayal of Raychel’s life, focusing on their passion for climate advocacy alongside the challenges and triumphs of being trans in that space.
- Raychel Sanner, a trans storm chaser and climate activist, is the focus of Niamh Barry's documentary, "Something In The Air," which also explores her life experiences, particularly as a trans person in the storm-chasing community.
- Niamh Barry, a photographer from Ireland, decided to travel to the United States during peak tornado season to not only capture wild images of nature but also to produce a full-length documentary about the lifestyle of trans storm chaser, Raychel Sanner, and her storm-chasing group, Tornado Titans.
