LISTEN: Lauren Hunter Has Unlikely Connection to Oscar-Nominated Movie Thanks to Alberta Man Mowing Lawn In Tornado

PHOTO CREDIT TO CECILIA WESSELS.

The photo of an Alberta man mowing his lawn in the middle of a tornado is now featured in an Oscar nominated movie! The movie, Vice, is up for 8 Oscars and was produced by Brad Pitt and features Christian Bale and Steve Carell!

The tornado photo was taken in Three Hills Alberta last year by Cecilia Wessels, who snapped the picture of her husband, Theunis, after the twister passed near their home.

A year ago, I had interviewed Cecilia about the photo right after it happened. So with the Oscars being imminent, I sat down to chat with Cecilia and she revealed something pretty cool to me! She said I was the first radio interview she did, and that it had a hand it helping the photo initally go viral!

(I know on our own SONiC Facebook page, when I posted the article and photo, it got over 1,000 likes and shares! Which is pretty crazy for us.) Shoutout to storm chaser Jeff Adams who initially posted the photo on his Twitter as well.

Since then, thanks to Cecilia’s sweet photography skills, the photo has been featured in everything from Canadian Safety Handbooks, to textbooks, to publications across the globe. Cecilia said the photo has an exceptionally popular following in Germany!

I chatted with Cecilia about how movie producers got in touch with her to use the photo, her connection to SONiC 102.9, and what’s next for the photo!

Lauren Hunter