Lady Filmmakers Festival 2018 - a land shaped by women
A film directed by Anne-Flore Marxer, and presented by Anne-Flore and Aline Boc, it tells a depiction of their journey across Iceland, where the two Snowboard Freeride World Champions explore the country in a van through the adventure sports they are passionate about: snowboarding and surfing. On the road they meet inspirational Icelandic women to understand their mindset: independent, happy and believing in their dream.
Interview with Writer, Director, Producer Anne-Flore Marxer
Watch A Land Shaped by Women on Tubi and Redbull TV
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I’m a professional snowboarder, and I’ve fought for equality in my sport as long as I can remember. When I started, women were not allowed to compete in slopestyle as men considered it too dangerous for women. After many petitions, articles, etc., we gained the opportunity to compete as well as equal prize money with men in freestyle competitions. In snowboarding free-ride competitions (another discipline of my sport), the prize money for those who get 1st place in women’s snowboarding is 50% less than what a male skier would get.
After many years of diverse public actions for better opportunities for women in my sport, I became tired of fighting the sexist sport structure. When I won Xtrem de Verbier 2017, the most important and last competition of my winter, I decided to leave the fight and competitions behind me to dedicate my energy in positive projects to inspire women.
I wanted to transform all the fighting energy into joy and empowerment. I was tired and in need of inspiration for myself, so I decided to go to Iceland and enjoy Iceland’s positive feminist mindset. Directing a film about my trip was a chance to share the inspiration and empowerment the Icelandic women gave me.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
“a land shaped by women” brings inspiration to all women. The landscapes are beautiful and the interviews are powerful. My film is an inspirational depiction of the journey of two women travelling in a van across Iceland, snowboarding and surfing across Iceland. As their travel unfolds, playing in the mountains, in the waves or under the spectacular northern lights, they introduce the viewers to the iconic Icelandic women they met along the way. This film is empowering women and bringing a feminine narrative to the outdoor practice, it encourages all of us to be part of creating the world that will make sense and bring gender equality in the front of the debate.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
My film is a composition of what a beautiful outdoors travel could be, and a mix between
my travel experience and feelings with a quest I was researching. This film is the result of my past personal experiences around my quest for equality which is becoming more and more important as a universal theme.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I went to Iceland after conducting research on historical events that happened for women there. We had a couple of the women in mind who we met, and then we just took the road which led to more inspirational encounters. We were travelling in Aline’s van and we put the cameramen and photographers in a 2nd van to be able to follow the snow, sun and the swell according to the forecasts. While in Iceland we did the most we could with the weather we had.
I’ve been a journalist for the past 10 years, and the proper part of the work happened during and after the trip where I composed the proper story and synopsis, along with getting the film content and properly organizing the story with the footage we had. That’s why I say it’s a mix between a travel documentary around the theme of equality.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
I’m actually still working on the 52-minute film and I made a 26-minute version which i had the opportunity to show only once in public yet. At a renowned film festival in Austria, “a land shaped by women” received Best Film as its only prize. Lady Filmmakers is the 2nd festival to select my film, and coming from sports and from Europe, and especially being feminist, getting a chance to show my film in Beverly Hills in a proper film festival amongst incredibly talented women filmmakers is an accomplishment I had never imagined when I decided to go to Iceland. That’s all the beauty of following your heart! Many festivals have already selected our film, so go to www.alandshapecbywomen.com to find the 50 dates planned before Christmas.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
What strikes me the most is that I’ve been fighting for women in my sport for many years and received a lot of sexist comments; today I am presenting a positive film for women that I’m getting incredible beautiful feedback and support for. I am thankful and totally overwhelmed with all the love and support I’m receiving at the moment about the film.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
My biggest joy is the chance to show the film in which I put all my heart, passion and soul. In my personal experience as a snowboarding world champion and a feminist activist, I’ve seen how much we can improve things by inspiring more women in taking the lead of their own life, as well as into changing the system we live in. By showcasing “a land shaped by women”, you participate in that change, and so do all the people reading this article. I’d like to personally thank all of you for being part of creating a more equal world.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Everyone’s help would be fabulous! I’ve been carrying most of the making of this film on my shoulders and I can only do my best. I’d love to find a buyer, distributor, etc. to help spread the film, not because I want to promote my film, but because “a land shaped by women” gives inspiration and empowerment to all girls and women.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
President Vigdis (the first female president in the world, Iceland 1980) said: “what we can see we can be.” That’s the impact I wish for the film to have on young women: that girls watching “a land shaped by women” can understand they can accomplish their dreams, be happy and do everything they dream of!
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I’d like to ask this question: where will you start shaping the system we live in into becoming equal towards women, who compose 52% of the human population?
We need to ask this question from above to put bottom-up regulations in place, to ensure women have equal opportunities as men. At the end of day we live together, we share this world and we need each other to perpetuate the human spice. How about we give equal opportunities to all? How about we embrace our personal differences as assets and build a world together we can share in the best way for all?
Would you like to add anything else?
I’d like to thank from the bottom of my heart the incredibly empowering women we met in Iceland:
Katrin Oddsdottir, a human rights lawyer who took part in writing Iceland's new constitution, with a progressive open approach and special consideration of women's issues. We received the motivational tips from Vilborg Arna Gissurardóttir, the first Icelander who has reached the summit of Mount Everest; she is a true explorer who has crossed the South Pole single-handedly. In the north we went snowboarding with Heida Birgisdottir, Iceland's first surfer, one of the first snowboarders and the founder of the iconic women’s boardsports clothing brand Nikita. Her modest, relaxed manner and dedication to doing the things she loves reminds us that women do not necessarily have to impose a strong character in order to achieve big goals and follow their dreams. Last but not least we met Una Torfadottir, a young woman who wrote a poem that will make you shiver about the way our society makes young women feel about their bodies, which she describes with a lot of intelligence, confidence and wisdom.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’d love to make another film about another journey to spread women’s empowerment. I have a couple ideas worth making a film and I’ll be very happy to share them in the hope of making another dream come true.
Interview: September 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
“a land shaped by women”
A film directed by Anne-Flore Marxer, and presented by Anne-Flore and Aline Boc, it tells a depiction of their journey across Iceland, where the two Snowboard Freeride World Champions explore the country in a van through the adventure sports they are passionate about: snowboarding and surfing. On the road they meet inspirational Icelandic women to understand their mindset: independent, happy and believing in their dream.
Length: 52 minutes; 26 minutes
Who is being interviewed for this article? Anne-Flore Marxer
Director: Anne-Flore Marxer
Producer: Anne-Flore Marxer, Aline Bock
Writer: Anne-Flore Marxer
About the writer, director, producer:
ANNE-FLORE MARXER (Snowboard Freeride World Champion; 2016 + 2017 Vice Snowboard Freeride World Champion): After spending half her life travelling and competing on the highest level of snowboarding, and pushing the sport to bring better and more equal opportunities for women, Anne-Flore is today becoming film director and producer as a way to bring her energy and creativity into positive, empowering projects for women.
ALINE BOCK was the Snowboard Freeride World Champion in 2010. She has been traveling around the world snowboarding and appearing in other film projects of her own in the past.
Key cast: Katrin Oddsdottir, Vilborg Arna Gissurardóttir, Heida Birgisdottir, Una Torfadottir
Facebook: a land shaped by women
Twitter: @annefloremarxer #alandshapedbywomen
Instagram: @annefloremarxer #alandshapedbywomen
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? www.alandshapedbywomen.com