Hot Aches Production released their most recent film, Redemption: The James Pearson Story, on November 21st, 2014.
Redemption: The James Pearson Story tells the controversial story of one of the World’s best trad climbers, Englandʼs 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 ostracized 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.
Here is what we thought at Squamish Climbing Magazine.
Going into this film, I really didn’t know much about James Pearson. I knew that he was a trad climber from the UK. I knew that he had been travelling with his girlfriend as of late, that he had said some things about ‘Rhapsody’, and that was about it. From my perspective, he seemed like one of those under appreciated climbers that continues fall in and out of the limelight, like Chris Webb Parsons or (add your favourite under-the-radar climber here).
In this film, Paul Diffley and Chris Prescott chronicle the rise and fall of Pearson within the UK trad climbing scene with retrospective narrative from James himself. Both the footage of Pearson climbing and the candid interviews captured by the filmmakers provide a compelling narrative that accomplish exactly what it sets out to do: for us to care about James Pearson. From an outsider perspective, James seems like a decent guy. A once young climber who got caught in the hoopla of professional climbing culture and is now trying to make it back in the best way he knows how.
Throughout the film, I could not help but ponder the cultural differences between the UK climbing scene and Canada. Like the English, we love the humble climber who goes to work and climbs hard. In contrast, this persona makes it difficult for the climber who seeks out ‘sponsorship’. Often, these climbers can look like they are shouting their names from the hills, and yet in comparison to their American counterpart, they may not be shouting loud enough. We are always critical of those who want to be on top. Do we ever take it too far? I would like to think that no one here would have to leave the country because of an ego and a few inflated grades.
I don’t want to give too much away, but the final section of this film is top notch. Well placed aerial shots and fantastic climbing footage create a finale that you surely do not want to miss. Overall, Redemption delivers! It tells a story that begs you to think about the impact of our own climbing culture, while observing the growth of the individual through dedication to their craft. Through the lens of two fine film makers, Redemption becomes more than a story about just climbing. I would highly recommend Redemption. It is a welcomed addition to the already jam-packed collection from the team at Hot Aches Productions.
Digital Download: $15.00 (rent: $8:00) Running Time: 53 minutes
Redemption can be downloaded at Reelhouse.org
