Banff Mountain Film Festival
October 27 – November 4
Feature-length Films
Sunday, October 28 – Eric Harvie Theatre
All programs $9
Lots of tickets available. Purchase by phone, online, or in person. Please arrive a few minutes early.
Sunday, October 28 — Noon Program ($9)
Draw Me a Line
Switzerland, 2006, 41 minutes
Directed by Sébastien Devrient
Produced by Géraldine Fasnacht
In person: Sébastien Devrient
Draw Me a Line is a film that unites extreme skiing and contemporary art for the first time. The director parallels the work of three riders and three artists — two worlds that apparently have no connection, but the lines drawn in the snow or on the canvas will unite them.
Steep
USA, 2007, 90 minutes
Directed by Mark Obenhaus
Produced by Jordan Kronick and Gabrielle Tenenbaum
Steep traces the legacy of extreme skiing from its early pioneers to the death-defying daredevils of today — chronicling everything from jumping out of a helicopter hovering above the powdery slopes of Alaska’s mountain ranges to trying to outrun an avalanche in the French Alps.
Sunday, October 28 — 3:30 p.m. Program ($9)
Searching for the Coast Wolves
Germany, 2006, 52 minutes
Directed by Richard Matthews
Produced by Heinz von Matthey
In person: Gudrun Pflueger
This is a story of one woman’s passion for wolves. Gudrun Pflueger is a former world champion cross-country skier and long-distance runner. For the last six years, she has been studying wolves in the wilds of Canada, collecting field data, hair, droppings, and other evidence for use in scientific projects on wolves. This film follows her as she goes in search of the coastal wolves of British Columbia.
Becoming a Woman in Zanskar
France, 2007, 87 minutes
Directed by Jean-Michel Corillion
Produced by Manuel Catteau
Canadian Premiere
Becoming a Woman in Zanskar recounts the moving story of a friendship shattered by destiny, when two best friends have to part and leave their families forever. Tenzin will be married to a man she hasn’t chosen, while Palkit will become a nun.
Sunday, October 28 — 7:30 p.m. Program ($9)
Facing Obsession
Germany, 2006, 27 minutes
Directed by Jochen Schmoll
North American Premiere
Stefan Glowacz and Robert Jasper are totally obsessed with climbing the notorious “ForgottenWall”, the steep and massive 1000-metre north pillar of Cerro Murallon amidst the inland ice of Patagonia. This obsession dates back to 2003, when they first attempted the climb. Despite being brutally beaten back by raging storms, the two “possessed” alpinists decide to return for two more extremely tricky attempts. In order to make their dream come true, Glowacz and Jasper are finally forced to push themselves to the very limit.
Loop
Norway, 2005, 75 minutes
Directed and produced by Sjur Paulsen
Searching for extraordinary ski trails, an engineer and a fishing enthusiast travel from Narvik to the Lofoten Islands on a cutter. A marketing expert manages to climb one of Norway’s most difficult routes all alone, just to BASE jump from the top. A paramedic takes time out from his exhausting job to monitor a large forest area and prevent outbreaks of fire. What unites these four men is a typical professional career on the one hand and the courage to defy conventions on the other. Loop tells us their stories and introduces us to 90 year old Arne Nœss, a philosopher and adventurer.
Photos from the films: Steep; Loop; Becoming a Woman in Zanskar