Carl Longstaff said his self-destructive lifestyle easily could have cut his life short. (Nathan Reimer)

By Ian Holmes

powerful documentary

Film examines fall and rise of Nanaimo man’s battle with trauma and addiction

May 14, 2022 | 8:05 AM

NANAIMO — A brutally honest documentary profiles a Nanaimo man’s extended voyage overcoming challenges many don’t recover from.

Inside Out: The Carl Longstaff Story is a 50 minute doc produced by Victoria’s Nathan Reimer, who went to high school with Longstaff (AKA Carl Schleppe) at Nanaimo’s Dover Bay Secondary School.

Reimer said the project morphed into much more than fulfilling a request to produce music videos for Longstaff, a Nanaimo musician.

The film encompasses Longstaff’s entire life, showcasing people involved in his unhealthy upbringing, as well as those exposed to his self-destructive behaviour.

“I just let people say what they needed to say and put it all together in the most honest way I could tell the story,” Reimer said.

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Longstaff’s road recovering from damaging trauma and substance abuse was bumpy.

He faced childhood abuse, leading to behavioural outbursts, drug use and deteriorating mental health.

In adulthood, the father of two was burdened by an aggressive alcohol dependency as he isolated himself from family and friends.

A turning point came in 2014 when a relationship with a long-time friend eventually blossomed into marriage.

His wife provided the necessary support required for Longstaff to attend extended counselling sessions, allowing him to address past wounds while providing a road map forward.

A trailer promoting the recently completed documentary touched a chord with Reimer’s close friends.

“Without exception, everyone’s come back saying ‘I have a friend who needs to see this, can I please send them the link?’ That really let me know that this is connecting with people,’ Reimer said.

Inside Out: The Carl Longstaff Story also ignited a spark within Reimer, whose been dormant in filmmaking for many years and now has multiple projects on the go.

The school district employee residing in Sidney, B.C. is looking forward to seeing the impact sharing Carl’s story will have.

“As a filmmaker, I’m telling a story that’s worthwhile, important, interesting and is something that people need to hear. It’s gratifying to tell a story that I know will help people.”

‘It’s never too late’

Re-wiring how Longstaff viewed the world and what he needed to do to be at peace with himself took a lot of work.

He said his emotions were all over the map as a child, pointing to an example in his minor hockey days of constantly being in the penalty box.

“I was taught to hurt people, I thought that was normal,” Longstaff said.

He’s been sober for nearly six years, established by first understanding the ramifications his actions had on family, friends and himself.

Longstaff removed alcohol as a comforting coping mechanism, which he admits was extremely hard.

“I found that a lot of recovery and healing was actually facing the pain that I was feeling and experiencing it, instead of trying to push it off until later and let it build up.”

Carl credits his wife Chrissy Forsythe for providing the stability to turn his life around. (Nathan Reimer)

While filming was emotionally draining at times, Longstaff said he’s thankful for the opportunity to further expand on his emotions and help others by telling his story.

“I have the ability to still play music, I still have so much opportunities left in my life at the young age of 40. It’s never too late to turn your life around,” Longstaff said, who emphasized the gratitude he feels waking up every day.

Carl Longstaff’s story debuts in Nanaimo at VIU’s Malaspina Theatre on Saturday, May 28.

Ticket information can be found here.

Proceeds from ticket sales are offsetting costs to produce the documentary and host the screening event.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes