Indoor adventure

The Banff Mountain Film Festival started 39 years ago, before I was even born. It’s become a staple in adventure communities all over the world. Over 400 short films and documentaries are submitted every year and once they select the winners, the films go on tour. They even do a showing in Antarctica! Early in February, the festival landed here in Charlottetown. For the last 15 years PEI Adventure Initiative has seen to it that we get to experience two evenings of intense, thought provoking and beautiful films.

I attended the Saturday night showing, which is a whole separate set of films than the Friday evening. As I lingered in the entryway of the UPEI Performing Arts Centre, adjacent to The Rustico Surf Club merch table I heard many little snippets of conversations. Most common among them were the standard Winter greeting of “haven’t seen you in a while” followed by “Did you catch last night too?” A friend told me they never miss this event and after this, I don’t think I will either. Even the opening trailer is a vivid, wild ride!

Of course the films revolve around outdoor adventures but that doesn’t just mean the thrilling, hair raising kind. There was a fascinating one about this man from B.C. who has spent years filming Anna’s Hummingbirds. They are a species that don’t migrate in the Winter and his obsession has meant immense knowledge added to the scientific study of them. 

Films ranged in length, language, and production budgets as well. Anywhere from two minutes to fifty. Japanese, French, English (or some combination of) and from clearly well sponsored to independent leaning. I’m always a fan of variety. The crowd was equally varied—in age at least. Little kids already dressed in pajamas for their late evening drive home and more seasoned outdoor and film enthusiasts alike. There were also a ton of prizes at intermission from local sponsors.

I think that everyone has some secret adventure desire or at least I know I have a few. I believe that’s why we’re drawn to these documentaries. Even if you don’t have the same drive to, say, do a forty-some-odd-day trek across a barren yet beautiful ice pack and climb a mountain, there is something intriguing about watching those who do achieve it. I feel like it stirs something of a feralness inside us. A driving urge that arises, regardless of the relation to subject matter, reminding us of adversities we’ve encountered or those we’d still dream of seeing ourselves overcome. Maybe I am over-romanticizing here but the films, taken as a whole, reminded me of how there is no one set path and everyone defines success and achievement differently. To quote one of the films: “Life is beautiful when you stop and take a look at it.” 

I find the somewhat common practice of clapping after films a bit bizarre, so I don’t generally contribute. That night, it was genuine applause from me.