On Friday, I attended the Banff Mountain Film Festival event with fellow Scholars and GRF Yashira. Prior to the event, I was not sure what to expect. At first, I thought we may be watching the film in Rose House, but it turned out that we were on our way to Bailey Hall! I also thought that the film might be in the format of narrated bird’s eye views of numerous mountainous landscapes from around the world, which I had no problems with. This would be a chance for me to see some of Earth’s truly spectacular features, regardless of the format of the film.
Upon arriving at Bailey, I admittedly felt a little out of place. Here were hundreds of people who had a deep passion for the outdoors, spending so much of their lives immersed in landscapes of the world. They were all congregated in this one central hub to watch this compilation of 8 of the best films from the Festival. I initially felt bad that I was potentially taking the seat of a more deserving viewer who could really appreciate the film. But, as soon as the first one started, I could understand how anyone, no matter the amount of time or the types of outdoor activities they are involved in, could fall in love with and were equally as deserving of seeing each of the places that this virtual tour brought us to.
I would have been content with a narrated film of the landscapes, but I was even more excited that all of the films depicted and were in the voice of their subjects. As a Human Development major, I enjoyed the human elements of the film – getting a firsthand glimpse at the interactions between people and the landscapes, as well as the physical and psychological tests of human strength. For someone who is afraid of heights, this event was perfect. I was able to experience being up on mountains without physically being elevated. I was pleased to live vicariously through others in the films. Among my favorites was the first film shown, The Important Places, which won Best Short Mountain Film, about a young man’s and his father’s shared love for the Colorado River. Another one that I really enjoyed was Eclipse, which won Best Film: Snow Sports, illustrating a photographer’s mission to capture the perfect picture of skiers coming down a Norwegian mountain during an eclipse. A third was Paddle for the North, a portrayal of 6 men’s journey paddling some of the more remote rivers in North America. Despite some of the more muddy and grueling conditions that they endured, they got to see the Northern Lights, which has always been a bucket list item of mine.
An important aspect of the event to note were the various film elements used. Everything was natural, no special effects were implemented. The angles and contrast in scale of what was being filmed were amazing. They ranged from being able to see the bottom side of drops of water as they dripped off of a surfer’s glove to frames of entire rivers and snowy mountains. This Festival was as much about the filmmakers as they were the subjects of the films.
Having attended this event, I think I will be needing to add more places to my bucket list. I like to go running on Campus. Perhaps, I will have to branch out further and experience running in new, even more scenic places in the future. The Festival was such an exhilarating and fulfilling experience. There is something to be said in finding peace in nature’s both calm and more tumultuous landscapes. I am so glad that I attended! The Earth has so many wonders, many of which will always give us a sense of awe. If we look at some of the native cultures, as the films did, we see they have an honest understanding of the land and hope to preserve it along with their cultures. They see the land for all of its beauty and wonderment. Those of other cultures do, too, but because such wonders are becoming more industrialized and scarce, those of other cultures have a stronger sense of awe. Is this increased level of wonderment necessarily a good thing? It seems like a double-edged sword – on the one hand, we are paying the land some more mind, but on the other hand, this is very likely because the land is being destroyed. This year is the 40th anniversary of the Banff Festival. I truly hope that it continues for another 40 and counting!