On Thursday February 19th, The Cinematheque in Vancouver, BC, will play host to the VIMFF Climbing Culture night featuring the films Above The Alley, Beneath The Stars, Wild New Brave, Novato, and Redemption. All of the films on this night tell a unique tale of climbing culture and its personal effect on the individual. Should be a fantastic night. Here is our review of the films featured.For tickets for this show, please click here.
Above The Alley, Beneath The Stars
Director: Dominic Gill Running Time: 24 minutes
Above the Alley, Beneath the Sky follows climbing instructor Andrew Lenz in his quest to build a youth outreach climbing program in Brazil’s largest slum. Centro de Escalada Urbana sprung out of the concept that some of the worlds finest rock climbing was literally on the backdoor step of this under-served community. Every Monday the kids venture out onto the cliffs above their favela. During the climb, they are able to stare down upon a community famous for drugs and gang activity.
This film depicts a small community of climbers who continue to persue their passions despite not having all the advantages that are usually associated with climbing. With breathtaking footage of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, this film shows that climbing around the world is not always on equal footing and sometimes, those who want to climb have to work much harder to obtain it.
Wild New Brave
Director: Oakley Anderson-Moore Running Time: 27 minutes
In 1970s America, the legends of free climbing start out as young outcasts who didn’t want any part of a respectable American dream. They wanted to create a world for themselves where the ultimate self-expression was a climb to nowhere. Up was down, poor was rich, and what everyone else found meaningless was worth dying for. With 16mm archival footage of their daring antics and vagabond lifestyles, as well as campfire interviews with John Bachar, Henry Barber, Ron Kauk, Lynn Hill and more, see how these young rock climbers created a Utopia out of risk and innocence.
For those who love the lost days of climbing, this film is definitely your bag. Although not as visually stunning as Valley Uprising, this film still holds its own through raw unfiltered footage of the past. The film’ strength lies in its interviews with a number of climbing legends including John Bachar, Henry Barber, Jimmy Dunn, and Lynn Hill. This film has a sense of nostalgia that often accompanies looking back to the freedoms of the past that so often characterized the climbing community in places such as Yosemite Valley. The stories captured more than highlight the first feelings of adventure any climber has. This one is definitely worth a watch.
Novato
Director: Jon Herrantz Running Time: 18 minutes
Francisco Marin, also known as “Novato” (“Rookie” in Spanish), is a 61-year-old climber and the only known person in the world to climb at this level at his age. He reached his maximum sporting achievement on 24th September 2012, when he sent “Geminis”, an 8b+ (5.14a) line, and nowadays he has “Florida” as a project, an impressive 8c (5.14b) route. All of them are located in Rodellar, Spain. He has a long-term ambition to achieve 9a grade before the age of 70. Furthermore, he is the father of Edu Marin, one of the best climbers in the world. They usually climb together, creating a unique roped team that transcends the parent-child relationship. Beautifully shot, this film truly embraces the lifelong ambition of climbing.
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Redemption: The James Pearson Story
Director: Paul Diffley Running Time: 53 minutes
Redemption: The James Pearson Story tells the controversial story of one of the World’s best trad climbers, James Pearson. After a dramatic rise to become one of the top climbers in the UK, controversy surrounding the grading of his routes left him feeling ostracised from the climbing scene. The film tells James’ story and follows his return to the UK as he faces his demons and looks to redeem his place within the UK climbing community.
James Pearson made his way into popular climbing culture by sending many difficult routes at a very young age. As his popularity grew, so did Pearson’s need to prove himself to the climbing community, which may have led to events that found James on the outside looking in. Through crafted storytelling by Hot Aches Productions, this film gives us insight into the British climbing scene and footage of hard traditional ascents that you surely do not want to miss. For our full review of this film, please click here.
For tickets for this show, please click here.
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