>>REVIEWS
BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL 2005
October 27 to November 6
The Banff Centre
From hockey in India to the life of an Olympic ski racer, the Banff Mountain Film Festival returns to showcase all things connected to mountain culture.
Inspired, inspiring and, unfortunately, occasionally dull, these movies from filmmakers across the world have two things in common – mountain peaks and a passion to tell a story. But even picturesque views and shots of the best athletes on the planet are not always enough to capture the imagination of the viewing public.
This is particularly true in the case of Flying Downhill: The Art of Bode Miller. Miller is a noted American ski racer and although the film attempts to make his story sexy by using dramatic narration, it still comes off as a glorified home movie. There is no doubt that Miller is a talented skier, but this 75-minute film lacks a point of view.
Another movie that fails to get to the feeling of the sport it features is Off Road to Athens by director Jason Berry. This time it’s the U.S. cycling team at the core of the story. The trials and tribulations of the team might be of interest to competitive cyclists, but to the average viewer, the extensive interviews with athletes whining about the conditions on the road fall flat. Clocking in at 108 minutes, this flick requires some serious attention in the editing room before it will make it to the finish line.
Conversely, Hockey Night in Ladakh by local filmmakers Baiba Auders Morrow and Pat Morrow gets to the heart of the matter. All too short at nine minutes, this movie leaves the viewer wanting more. Instead of the spoiled millionaires of the NHL, Hockey Night in Ladakh takes place in a mountain town in India at an elevation three times higher than Calgary. One of the exhibition games features the New Delhi Sacred Bulls – a group of Canadian embassy workers – at centre ice facing off against the local favourites. This is a warm-hearted movie about some villagers who love the ice as much as Canadians.Another film made in Ladakh, but from a much different perspective, is the 50-minute short The Magic Mountain. It profiles Canadian community worker Cynthia Hunt, founder of Health, Environment and Literacy in the Himalayas (HEALTH) as she treks around the area in an effort to help the women of northwest India improve their lives.
Also included in the festival lineup is Sur le fils des 4000m from French filmmaker Gilles Chappaz. This is the story of Patrick Bérhault and Philippe Magnin, who set out on March 1, 2004 to climb all 82 summits in the Alps above 4,000 metres. After hitting peak 67, the story takes a dramatic turn.
Mountain culture in all of its varied forms is always the focus of the Banff Mountain Film Festival. Unfortunately, many of these films feature people talking about what they do instead of doing it. As a former film editor once told me, "Show, don't tell." It's an adage that can be aptly applied to the majority of the films reviewed here.
For complete program information go to www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/2005/festivals. |
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