Anchor at News 5 Cleveland
In 1995, Browns Head Coach Bill Belichick had his eye on a bruising defensive end, Ta’u Pupu’a, from Weber State. The Browns liked him so much that they made him their fifth-round draft selection.But his time with the sport was short-lived, as injuries sidelined Pupu’a, and his football dream came to an end. “When one door closes”, he said, “another one will open.”
Another talent made that next door open. He had always loved music. Pupu’a went to New York City and studied to become an opera singer. From football to opera! “One wears a helmet and shoulder pads,” he said, jokingly, “and the other wears wigs and make-up!”
His story reads like a movie script. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it caught the eye of filmmaker Mark Harris. “We all face challenges in life,” Harris said. “Challenges, unexpected things that can break you or re-make you.”
“The Platform” is a 9-minute short film based on the life of Pupu’a that premiered at the Cleveland International Film Festival on April 15. “The last time I was here was about 30-years ago”, Pupu’a said. “And then here I am again…it’s amazing!” Harris added, “Ya know, Tau’s story began in Cleveland… It’s a story of re-invention, perseverance, and it’s a story that is Cleveland, it embodies Cleveland.”
A football career and a movie premiere, 30 years apart, in the city where a man started living two dreams. Pupu’a said, reminding us, 'The film is to inspire people to go after their dreams.”
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