In 1976, Canadian stuntman Ken Carter declared his intention to jump a mile over the St. Lawrence Seaway in a rocket powered car. In 2008, Canadian musician Mark Haney declared his intention to pay tribute to Ken Carter in the form of a concept album for solo double bass. In 2011, Canadian filmmaker John Bolton declared his intention to make a "musical docudrama" about both men. Aim for the Roses is a one-of-a-kind film, about a one-of-a-kind album, about a one-of-a-kind stunt, all three of which could only happen in Canada.
Documentary follows the come-back attempt of Canadian stunt performer Ken Carter, and his untimely demise at Westgate Speedway in the fall of 1983. The documentary made use of jump footage that sat in storage unused for thirty years.
Born in Montreal and raised in a working-class neighbourhood, Ken Carter pursued a daredevil career after leaving school, earning the moniker "The Mad Canadian" for his audacious car stunts across North America. His most ambitious feat was an attempt to leap over the Saint Lawrence River in a rocket-powered Lincoln Continental in 1976, chronicled in the documentary "The Devil at Your Heels." Despite setbacks and a failed attempt in 1979, he persisted. Ken Carter's daring life story has captured imaginations, weaving a tale involving the mafia and a formidable Evel Knievel. His extraordinary, albeit risky, life has spurred numerous films, novels, and even an album rooted in a conceptual string-bass theme, which, in turn, inspired a musical. Tragically, Carter’s last jump was the night of September 5, 1983, when he overshot the landing on the far side of a murky pond at Westgate Speedway in Peterborough, Ontario, in a 1982 Pontiac, equipped with what was described as a 'homemade rocket.' He died on impact at only 45. His determination and risk-taking spirit remain integral to his daredevil legacy.
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