Film program – 24 november
FILM PROGRAM
24 NOVEMBER, FRIDAY
BIG HALL
13:00 / 13:14 – Legenda o Zlatorogu / The Legend of Goldhorn, 2022, Slovenia, 14` – special program “Animation” –
A story based on a Slovenian folk tale is an analogy of greed and human relationship towards nature. In the heart of the Slovenian mountains a young hunter returns home with a bouquet of flowers. His lover has left him for a wealthier man. In hope of clearing his head, he heads out to the mountains. On his journey, visions of his lover begin to haunt him. As he loses his mind his dark side comes to life and proposes a dangerous alternative. If he would kill the Goldhorn, a mythical creature with golden horns, capturing this treasure, would surely win back his girl. Musical score made with traditional Slavic instruments.
13:14 / 14:25 – PASANG: In the Shadow of Everest, 2022. USA, Nancy Svendsen, 71` – original language in English with Bulgarian subtitles
The story of Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, the indigenous trailblazer who battled racism, gender discrimination, and political opposition in her quest to become the first Nepali woman to summit Mt. Everest. Her courageous, tragic journey would greatly move her country, inspiring new generations to reach for their rights.
14:25 / 15:00 – break – See exhibitions
15:00 / 15:47 – The Last Continent, 2023, Austria, Matthias Mayr, 47` – original language German and English with Bulgarian subtitles
The two freeriders and adventurers Matthias Haunholder and Matthias Mayr have been almost everywhere in search for Powder Snow. On 6 continents they have done first descents, deep powder lines and expeditions. But there is one continent left. A continent the two never considered for skiing. AFRICA. But it would not be adventorous enough, if just “skiing Powder in Africa” would be their aim. Doing as much as one can in an ecofriendly way is part of Hauni´s and Matthias´mindset ever since. But when it comes to their adventures, they always produced a big carbon footprint. Not this time. The goal is to go electric all the way to Sahara, and back. Without focusing on going electric, to show that this is possible for daily use. Everything said about their plan – Reality is always different. Snow in the desert, floodings,….
15:47 / 16:25 – Abstract: A Freeski Exhibition, 2023, Switzerland, The Faction Collective Co-Production with Red Bull Media House, 38` – original language in English with Bulgarian subtitles
Skiing is not art, and skiers are not artists. Unless, of course, skiing is art and skiers are artists? Faction’s fourth feature film exhibits pure creativity through a series of free ski sequences—from the vibrant streets of Japan, to the powdery pillows of British Columbia, to the finely-manicured terrain parks of Switzerland and Italy. Each location provides a blank canvas for the team’s artistic expression. Because nothing screams “artist” like sending large cliffs and grinding the side of buildings.
16:30 / 17:30 – break
17:30 / 22:00 – See Presentations Program at Big Hall
VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE HALL
11:30 / 12:33 – Velky kanon / Grand Canyon, 2023, Slovakia, Pavol Barabas, 63` – original language in Slovak with English and Bulgarian subtitles
The Brahmaputra, Karnali, and Colorado Rivers are fascinating for many river runners. Particularly, the Colorado River stands out as a unique stage where whitewater rapids unravel Earth’s ancient history. Within its wild water, it stirs up cherished memories of a dear friend, whose passion for discovering the mysteries of great rivers inspired many.
12:33 / 13:11 – JADIS / Yes, 2023, France, Seb Jam, 38` – original language English with Bulgarian subtitles
1787, an unknown shepherd climbed the first high mountain in the Pyrenees. Two centuries later, a skier begins an adventure immersed in the history of skiing and Pyreneism that will lead him to introspection. A crossing guided by the pioneers between past, present and future.
13:11 / 13:40 – break
13:40 / 14:06 – Rita Christen – first President of the Mountain Guides Association, 2022, Switzerland, Bertilla Giossi, 26` – original language German with Bulgarian subtitles
Rita Christen is an exception. She is one of the few female mountain guides. In Switzerland there are only just 40 female mountain guides, only 2.5% of the mountain guides are women. And then this: Two years ago, the Swiss Mountain Guides Association elects a woman as president, Rita Christen from Disentis. Her election triggers an enormous media echo, the reactions are consistently joyful and positive. The “Cuntrasts” film gives an insight into her work as president, but it also shows the mountain guide Rita Christen in her family environment and with her favourite discipline, climbing. We get to know a cheerful, lively woman with a profound passion for the mountains and we accompany her on a climb on the Turtle Ridge.
14:06 /15:02 – „BNT presents – Being Christo Pimpirev“, Bulgaria, 2023, Ara Hugasyan, screenplay Maria Cherneva, 56` – original language Bulgarian with English subitltes
“BNT presents” – “Being Hristo Pimpirev” by the journalist Maria Cherneva is dedicated to the famous polar explorer, who was the first to wave the Bulgarian flag on the South Pole. The authors of the film managed to get to unknown and very curious stories from the childhood and adolescence years of the future researcher. They try to understand what the structure is and what drives a true scientist and a discoverer to follow his dreams. In the mission to understand what it is to “Being Hristo Pimpirev”, his close friends, colleagues and Antarctic specialists are of a big help to him. The film complements his image as a father with the stories of his daughter. Prof. Pimpirev himself shares stories and facts about the first scientific expeditions of Bulgarian geologists and where the roads to Antarctica go through.
15:02 / 15:58 – Südtirols Hoher Norden / South Tyrol’s Far North, Italy, Jochen Hemmleb, 57` – original language German with English and Bulgarian subtitles
This portrait of landscape and history is framed by two climbing stories. The first focusses on Ahrntal climber Simon Gietl, who is presently regarded as one o f South Tyrol’s flagship alpinists. Together with his brother Manuel, Simon will attempt a first ascent on the steep south face of Durrerspitz in the Hochgall massiv, the highest peak of the region. The second features the spectacular sport of ice and mix end climbing, for which the Tauferer Ahrntal region became a centre stage since the late 1970s. One of its pioneers is legendary mountaineer Hans Kammerlander, who together with his partner Werner Beikircher recounts the roots of extreme ice climbing in his home country. In the closing chapter of the film, alpinists Kurt Astner, Konrad Auer, and Christoph Hainz, whoo rank among Europe’s top notch ice climbers, demonstrate their skills on the frozen cascades.
16:00 / 17:00 – Presentation and opening ceremony of the special exhibition “Black Snow” of Ludovico Bich (Italy) – official guest of Bansko film fest 2023.
17:00 / 17:30 – break
17:30 / 22:00 – See Presentations Program at Big Hall
TURZESTVENA HALL
11:30 / 12:00 – Tri odtiene Pyrenejí /Three Shades of Pyrenees, 2023, Slovakia, Jaro Teslar, 30` – original language Slovak with Bulgarian subtitles
Three friends come to the unknown Pyrenees with mountain bikes. They decide to explore the vast mountain range in three different locations, each of them offers different landscape and mountains and also a completely different style of riding. Sometimes it’s just about fun and adrenaline on the trails, but when conquering high summits – the so-called cycloalpinismo or bike mountaineering – they also reach their limits. The Pyrenees are really colorful, and so is mountain biking…
12:00 / 12:58 – Tomica e le vie segrete della Sibilla / Tomica and the SIbilla’s hidden routes, 2023, Italy, Andrea Frenguelli, 58` – original language Italian with Bulgarian subtitles
Tomica and the Sibilla’s hidden routes is a documentary that tells the mountaineering history of the Sibillini Mountains. Taking inspiration from the first free ascent of its most difficult climbing route, named Tomica, which overlooks Pilato’s lake at the heart of the National Park, the film follows Gabriele, a young mountaineer who grew up under the aura of a legendary and unviolated path, through his attempts, his hikes through the trails and bivouacs until the cathartic moment when he frees the route. A red thread which is intertwined with the stories of old and new leading personalities in these ever-mysterious mountains, subject to constant, and often tragically, changes.
13:00 / 13:40 – break
13:40 / 14:00 – LUZHBA — Creating a new reality, 2021, Austria, Andre Costa, 20` – original language Russian with English and Bulgarian subtitles
Anton, a 40-year-old pioneer skier from Siberia tells the story of the first; skiing expedition he and his friends had, in an attempt to create a new; reality away from the dirty industrial city they were born in.; simultaneously, 4 skiers from Austria get to meet Anton and ski the best; powder of their life.
14:00 / 15:36 – Heights and Depths, 2022, Hungary, Sándor Csoma, 96` – special program “Feature Films” – original language Hungarian with English subtitles
The protagonist of the story is Hilda Sterczer, the widow of the internationally renowned mountaineer, Zsolt Erőss. Through her eyes we get a glimpse into the events of the next few days by following Zsolt’s unsuccessful conquest of the mountain, resulting in a tragedy. Hilda is forced to follow helplessly, thousands of miles away, as her husband, participating in the Kancsendzönga expedition, becomes extremely exhausted and then ultimately dies during the descent from the mountain peak. She remains alone with their two children. Having been a supporter of Zsolt throughout his life, even after his death, Hilda tries to cope with the expectations of the public and the attacks of the media, with the same attitude the deceased had. However, precisely this compliance constraint that delays the mourning process. It takes time for her to admit that she needs help in dealing with the tragedy, and that she can’t handle all the obstacles alone. She has to find her own identity to start laying down the foundations of her new life.
15:36 / 16:00 – Puyuelo, 2022, Spain, Sara Sarrablo, 25` – original language English with Bulgarian subtitles
Four young Europeans squat in an abandoned village with the aim of taking control of their own lives. Puyuelo recovers its pulse thanks to these young people who begin to rebuild it from the ruins while discovering the history of its depopulation from the former inhabitants.
16:00 / 16:12- Adrenaline Sucks, 2022, USA, Chase Ogden, 12`- original language English with Bulgarian subtitles
World renowned skier and BASE jumper Matthias Giraud describes his disciplined approach to adventure sports and why he is not an “adrenaline junkie”.
16:12 / 16:34 – Nest, 2022, Denmark, Iceland, Hlynur Pálmason, 22` – Original language Dansish with English and Bulgarian subtitles
: A story of siblings building a tree house together over the course of a year. We experience the beauty and brutality of the seasons, as we follow them through their struggles and moments of joy.
16:34 / 17:30 – break – See exhibitions
17:30 / 22:00 – See presentations program at Big Hall
