Rocky Mountain Womens Film Festival 2018 - This Mountain Life
Six riveting portraits of human passion set high in the awe-inspiring peaks of British Columbia as a mother and daughter attempt an impossible journey on skis.
Interview with Writer/Director Grant Baldwin
Watch This Mountain Life on Kanopy, Prime Video and iTunes
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I had been working in the commercial snow sports industry for awhile, and I kept running into people who were amazing mountain people and had intriguing stories, but they didn't fit the mold of selling outdoor equipment, so their stories were never shared. I had it in the back of my head for a few years that I wanted to make a movie highlighting some of these characters.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It will allow you to see BC mountains in a new way, and it will introduce you to people who are driven by a personal passion so deep that it can't help but inspire others. Plus, it's a really beautiful film. I say it's a mountain film for people who don't watch mountain films because you don't need to be a skier or a mountaineer to appreciate the stories and awe-inducing visuals in this movie.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
While we were editing, it became pretty clear that all our subjects share a common bond of following their heart. Each of them finds true happiness, belonging, or life's meaning in a mountain environment – a place that is actually very inhospitable. I think their passions speak to a universal theme of a basic attraction humans feel to the outdoors and of experiencing happiness, not despite, but because of, struggle. They're very inspiring.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
We went through several iterations of the idea of the film in development before deciding to focus on six mountain stories with one (the mother-daughter ski traverse) as the anchoring journey. We originally had a long list of about 20 possible subjects, and we narrowed from there.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It has been wonderful to see the film play both to mountain audiences (winning Best Snow Sports Film at the Banff Mountain Film Fest) and to a more mainstream festival audience at festivals like Hot Docs and VIFF. That was our intention – to bridge the gap between those audiences with stories and visuals that could speak to both. Even more exciting has been the theatrical success. As filmmakers, nothing is better than doing Q&As to sold-out shows where people really want to know more about the making of the film that you just poured your life into for two years.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I think we're hitting all the marks we wanted to. I'm pleasantly surprised how much the film appreciated, especially by audiences who don't usually watch ski or outdoors films. It says a lot when someone who doesn't ski and isn't interested in skiing is riveted by a film that has quite a lot of ski touring in it. For them, I think it's like a window into another world.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
As indie filmmakers we're always looking for ways to broaden our reach. It's not just about promoting one film, it's about connecting with people and building relationships with other filmmakers and audiences who will be there for our work down the road too.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We'd love to connect to festivals, buyers, journalists, and anyone who wants to take the film further. We feel like we owe it to the subjects in this movie to get the film out there.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I want people to walk away inspired to think about their own passions and how they can push themselves to achieve more. And I want them to talk about the stories in the film with their friends and family. However you interpret the subjects in the film, they are stories worth talking about.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
"What do you love doing so much that you'd commit your life to it?"
Would you like to add anything else?
This was the most technically challenging filming I've ever done. Battling minus-30 degree nights with camera gear and a full pack in the absolutely wilderness was humbling to say the least. We had many times when we had only one opportunity to film something and we managed to get it just in time. I'm so grateful to our camera assistants and production team. Also, thanks for this opportunity to share a little about This Mountain Life.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We are touring This Mountain Life around festivals and theatres and are also in production on a documentary series on Search & Rescue.
Interview: November 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
This Mountain Life
Six riveting portraits of human passion set high in the awe-inspiring peaks of British Columbia as a mother and daughter attempt an impossible journey on skis.
Length: 78 minutes
Director: Grant Baldwin
Producer: Jenny Rustemeyer
Writer: Jenny Rustemeyer & Grant Baldwin
Key cast: Barry Blanchard, Tania Halik, Martina Halik, Bernhard Thor, Mary Thor
Looking for: festivals and buyers
Facebook: Mountain Life film
Twitter: @vancouverfilmer
Instagram: @mountainlifefilm
Funders: Knowledge Network, CMF, Creative BC
Made in association with: Knowledge Network.
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Festivals all over. Coming to theatres in Jan/Feb. Details at http://mountainlifefilm.com/screenings.