Published November 7, 2005 07:54AM
“Sur le fils des 4000,” directed by Gilles Chappaz, is the grand-prize winner at the Banff Mountain Film Festival. Documenting Patrick Bérhault and Phillippe Magnin’s visionary attempt to link all 82 of the Alps’ 4000-meter peaks in winter conditions, the film follows the two French alpinists across dozens of summits, through deep snow and storm, until Bérhault falls to his death more than three-quarters of the way through the project. “This film is about a beautiful adventure shared by two friends,” said jury member Laurence Gouault. “It shows their passion, love, and respect for the mountains and allows us to share the last journey of a great climber.”
Other winners at the 30th Banff Mountain Film Festival were:
“Everyday Extreme,” directed by David Kvart: Best Short Mountain Film
“The Magic Mountain,” directed by Baiba Auders Morrow and Pat Morrow: People’s Choice Award
“Natural World: Elephant Cave, directed by Vanessa Berlowitz: Best Film on Mountain Environment
“Praszczur,” directed by Mirosaw Dembiski: Best Film on Mountain Sports
“Return2Sender: Parallelojams, directed by Peter Mortimer: Best Film on Climbing
“Kekexili–Mountain Patrol,” directed by Lu Chuan: Best Feature-length Mountain Film
“Charles, Edouard ou le temps suspendu,” directed by Bernard Boyer: Best Film on Mountain Culture
Last week, “Being Caribou,” by Karsten Heuer, won the grand prize at the 12th Banff Mountain Book Festival. The book narrates Heuer and his wife’s five-month, 1500-kilometer journey with the Porcubine caribou herd through the Yukon and Alaska.
Other book festival winners were:
“On Thin Ice,” by Mick Fowler: Mountain Literature
“Mountain Ranges of Colorado, by John Fielder: Mountain Image
“Learning to Breathe,” by Andy Cave: Adventure Travel
“Longs Peak: The Story of Colorado’s Favorite Fourteener,” by Dougald MacDonald: Mountain Exposition
“The Villain: The Life of Don Whillans,” by Jim Perrin: Mountaineering History
“The 11,000ers of the Canadian Rockies,” by Bill Corbett: Canadian Rockies Award
For more info on all the prize-winning films and books, see http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/2005/festivals/.Comment on this story