Lafayette native's documentary talks about the rise of Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)— Armand “Mondo” Duplantis is a Lafayette native who is known around the world as one of, if not, the greatest pole vaulter ever.

A film seven long years in the making, Lafayette native and filmmaker Brennan Robideaux saw something special in Duplantis when he was still at Lafayette High. From then, Robideaux decided to take a leap of faith documenting Duplantis’ journey as one of the greatest track and field stars to ever do it.

“Mondo was kind of an anomaly,” Robideaux said.

Robideaux talked about his inspiration for the documentary saying, “The documentaries that I like are about people that are really good at something, [and] are really passionate about something that not many people know about.”

Brennan Robideaux found out about Duplantis after he become a Louisiana pole vaulting legend. Seeing something exceptional in him with an idea in mind, he knew he had something special.

“I mean, it didn’t even make sense,” Robideaux said. “I didn’t really know what I was signing up for either, you know.”

Robideaux reached out to the then 17-year-old to see if he would be interested in his idea.

Seven years and multiple world records broken later, Robideaux finally finished his documentary “Born to Fly.”

“It was a risk betting on a kid and spending a lot of my life savings following this kid around, hoping he would one day do it,” Robideaux said. “I’m happy that I prepared myself that when the opportunity came, I took it.”

The documentary will premiere at the Prytania Theatre on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 7:45 p.m., for the New Orleans Film Festival. Another screening will be on Nov. 18 for the Southern Screen Film Festival in Downtown Lafayette. It’ll be held at the Acadiana Center for the Arts Theater at 6:45 p.m.