Canaan Bower was a 16-year-old powerhouse wrestler in 2020. The Mayfield High School junior from Las Cruces suddenly grabbed headlines across the country and around the world for his daring rescue of a mother and her children from a would-be kidnapper.
Just two years later, he would be gone, killed in a traffic accident.
Ross Marks, a New Mexico State University film professor in the Creative Media Institute, will preserve Bower’s story in a film about him titled “Canaan.” Marks and his colleagues believe in sharing the humanity and inspiration of real heroes. The film will go beyond Bower’s fearlessness in taking down an attacker in the middle of a convenience store and pinning him to the ground until police arrived, to reveal the teenager’s true character and humble approach to heroism.
Bower received numerous honors as a result of his act of bravery. He was honored by The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, UFC President Dana White of USA Wrestling and Dona Ana County and the City of Las Cruces for his bravery, among others.
“Canaan’s story is a powerful tale of heroism, faith, and family,” Marks said. “He was much more than one act of great bravery. It is a very inspirational tale. It is important to tell Las Cruces stories to the world. And Canaan’s is one of the best.”
Mary Haarmeyer is writing the script for “Canaan.” She is also collaborating with Marks and CMI alumnus Keagan Karns and his production company Inspirado on upcoming films “The Santa Assist” and “Vengeful,” shooting back-to-back in Las Cruces in the Fall of 2023.
Marks will direct the film and his Rio Road Productions will produce it along with Keagan Karnes’ Inspirado and Haarmeyer.
Marks previously directed the faith-based film “Walking With Herb” which was shot in Las Cruces and starred Edward James Olmos and George Lopez. The film was released theatrically in 2021.
The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/nmsu-professor-to-turn-humble-hero-s-life-story-into-a-film/s/6ec4afa1-a84a-4cb8-b0e7-b3b3c58820bb