FILMS AUTRANS FILMFESTIVAL - FRANCE Competing for "Alp/Cervino" award LES FORÇATS DU VOLCAN Patrick and Axel Charles-Messance, France, 1997, 52¼, col., video, french The Cumbal, 4800 metres, is still active. The survival of about 30 families depends on this volcano, where sulpher and ice are extracted, but at what price? Each day they have to climb the high peaks on mules, facing up to glacial wind and toxic vapour, working in inconceivable condition and continuously risking their life. All this for earning only a few francs. The directors Independent journalist and reporter at "52 sur la une" from 1990. AUTRANS FILMFESTIVAL - FRANCE Competing for "Plateau Rosa" award WHEN THE LIGHT COMES Stijn Coninx, Holland, 113¼, col., 35mm, english and dutch Ellen Vanderlaan is a young and pretty lady, and just graduated with the highest grade-point average in her class. With the world at her feet and a bright future ahead, she can pretty much do what she wants.... so she goes to Spitsbergen, close to the Northpole, to spend a year living with a furtrapper named Lars! In one of the few places in the world where nature still rules, Ellen quickly realizes she has to adapt if she wants to survive. Unable to live the hut without being attacked by polar bears, bedding with a man who hadn¼t seen a woman for over a year, Ellen begins to regret her decision. The director He was born in 1957 at Neerpelt in Belgium and has a highly respected filmography. Co-scriptwriter of two feature films: in 1987 "Hector" and in 1992 "Daens" received an Oscar nomination for the best foreign film. Short films: "Surfing" and "Raoul Servais". AUTRANS FILMFESTIVAL - FRANCE Competing for "Plateau Rosa" award TUNDRA HUNTERS Erik Zimen, Bo Landin, Sweden, 1996, 52¼, col., 16mm, english This film looks at the Ngonnasan, formerly nomadic people living in northern Siberia, who were forced to leave their nomadic existence and live among Soviet Society during Stalin¼s reign. When Merime and his family decide to return to the northern tundra to live, the filmmaker Erik Zimen and his crew move in with the family, to film their everyday life throughout the seasons. The film is about their survival in a region that has changed considerably and their life is compared with the destruction of the 700 Ngonnasan people left behind. The directors Erik Zimen He was born in 1941 in Sweden. He studied zoology and anthropology in Zürich and social behaviour of a pack of wolves in the National Park of the Bavarian Forest and headed a research project of the WWF on wolves in Italy. He has also made about 20 television documentaries about wildlife, natural protection and human issues, and has produced several films about the indigenous people of the northern most Siberia and their struggle for survival. Erik Zimen now lives on a farm with lots of animals. Bo Landin He was born in 1952 and studied biology and earth sciences, since his teenage years he has worked as a journalist and photographer. In 1981 he created Scandinature Films and the company has become the leading production force of natural history films in Scandinavia. He has spent a year teaching specialised natural history and environmental documentary film production and classes in science and information. BANFF FILMFESTIVAL - CANADA Competing for "Alp/Cervino" award BHUTAN: THE LAST SHANGRI-LA Harry Marshall, USA, 1998, 58¼, col., 16mm, english There is only one place on earth where time stands still, where nature and religion have entwined to turn a tiny Buddhist Kingdom into the World¼s last Shangri-La. Locked between Tibet and India, Bhutan is the jewel of the Himalayas. Beneath steep glacial walls, alpine highlands fall to misty forests. Mountain streams at through gorges on their way down to warmer valleys and wide marshes in the heart of the Kingdom. One distinct landscape drops to the next before finally descending to the jungle and grasslands of the southern plains. For the people who have adapted to this domain of extremes, Bhutan is a Living Eden, where respect for life in all its many incarnations, endures like the kind itself. The director Born in Bangalore, Harry¼s early life was spent in Southern India, moving to England in the early 70¼s where he completed his studies and began his career in independent broadcasting. He produced and wrote a variety of documentary programmes for both BBC and Channel Four. In 1990 he founded the Icon Films and has since produced and directed many documentaries for both the UK and USA. BANFF FILMFESTIVAL - CANADA Competing for "Plateau Rosa" award KAYAK ISLANDA Alessio Viola, Italy, 1996, 9¼, col., 16mm, no dialogue A journey in the extraordinary scene given by the Iceland¼s landscape in pursuit of streams and waterfalls more suitable to be descended on a kayak. Shaun Baker, an english extreme kayaker and waterfall kayak, world champion for three times, is the one who will guide us in this discovery, setting a new record: on 25th September 1996 he jumped 19,7 metres with his kayak on the waterfall of the Skjalfandafljot river, in the North of Reykjavik. The director He was born in 1964, photograph manager and director of several documentaries as "Ametista", "Snowboard" and "Wing Flight". BANFF FILMFESTIVAL - CANADA Competing for "Plateau Rosa" award THE MAN WHO JUMPED TO EARTH Steve Robinson, UK, 1998, 40¼, col., video, english This film tells the story of Eric Jones, a 61 year man who loves adventure and decided to leave the mountains for a far continent and a space jumping. It¼s the story of a no more young man and the no age excitement for which he accepts the challenges. The director Steve Robinson was born in 1967 at Aberaeron in Wales. He starts his career as journalist writing in daily newspapers, afterwards for television and in 1997 for the BBC. "The man who jumped to Earth" is his first documentary that has already won five international awards. LES DIABLERETS FILMFESTIVAL ‚ SWITZERLAND Competing for "Alp/Cervino" award TAMANGUR Stephen Macmillan, Switzerland, 1998, 18¼, col., 35mm, no dialogue The film was shot in Switzerland among the Tamangur's mountains and forests, which is more than 800 years old and seen as an origin inspiration and hiding secrets and mysteries places. Accompanied by the music of Stimmhorn, written by Christian Zehnder, this film shows the concentration and the efforts of Andrew Ward to produce such impressive drawings and sculptures. The director Born in Scotland, went to London where he has worked as photographer for the newspaper "Observer". He has taken photographs of the most important theatre, opera and ballets events. LES DIABLERETS FILMFESTIVAL ‚ SWITZERLAND Competing for "Plateau Rosa" award ADIU MONDE, OU L¼HISTOIRE DE PIERRE ET CLAIRE Sandra Kogut, France, 1997, 27¼, col., video, french Sandra Kogut asked to the Aspe and Ossau¼s inhabitants to tell her the film they would like her to shot in their region. A "Universal Legend" born from this meeting, where authenticity, fiction, truth and information melt together and where everyone, tells his own film version, tells part of himself. The director Sandra Kogut was born in 1965 in Rio de Janeiro, where she studied philosophy and social communication. She also went to the video school in San Francisco. Director of several films as "Là e Cà", "Parabolic People" and "What do you think people think Brazil is?". Sandra has also worked for some Latin-American television. LES DIABLERETS FILMFESTIVAL ‚ SWITZERLAND Competing for "Plateau Rosa" award Y ARRIVAREM Sandrine Mörch, France, 1993, 8¼, col., video, french They don't have the use of their legs anymore, but still they have climbed a 2000 metres mountain. A group of disabled children were carried on shoulders to the peak of a mountain, where they have never dreamt of reaching. They were able to leave their wheel-chair for at least one day, and feel the emotion of being on a mountain-peak. A week-end that no one of them would easily forget. The director Journalist and director, he has worked for the FR3, TF1, FR2 and ARTE , she has produced documentaries, reportage and collaborating with several programs. POPRAD FILMFESTIVAL - SLOVAKIA Competing for "Alp/Cervino" award 118 DAYS IN CAPTIVITY OF ICE Pavol Barabas, Slovacchia, 1998, 57¼, col., video, english Crossing the Arctic Ocean from Russia to Canada through the North Pole remained the last, almost impossible dream of many arctic explorers for many years after the North Pole was conquered by men. Reinhold Messner called it the last great challenge of this millenium. This film presents an authentic story of four Slovak and Russian polar explorers who made this dream come true, using only their own strength and wit, without any aircraft support. The director Born in 1959. He has worked as a camera operator and director for sportfilm, ERPO Advertising Agency and K2 Studio. In addition to TV advertising and promotional films, he is the author of a broad range of mountain films with the topic: People living life in extreme conditions. POPRAD FILMFESTIVAL - SLOVAKIA Competing for "Plateau Rosa" award ROCK QUEEN Martin Belderson, Great Britain, 1997, 48¼, col., video, english This film shows the umpteenth success of Catherine Destivelle, climbing the "Old Man of Hoy" in Scotland, and her previous successes, from Monte Bianco to Eiger and we will listen to what she does, how she lives that adventure. The director He has just ended the production of a two year project for the Discovery Communications: "UFO-Down to Earth". Co-producer for "Defenders of the wild" with Discovery Channel and Channel Four. Producer of "Ocean Raider", "The Big Swim". Actually, he is preparing a series about Tibet for the Northern Films. POPRAD FILMFESTIVAL - SLOVAKIA Competing for "Plateau Rosa" award THE HUMAN RACE P. Du Cane, R. Dennison, C. Nilton, U. Krafzik, Australia, 1996, 56¼, col., 16mm, english The Human Race tells the story of three men from different parts of the globe who compete against each other in a test of endurance, survival skills and tenacity as they walk more than 500 km. from the edge of the sun-scorched desert to the tropical coast in the remote and spectacular Kimberley region of North Western Australia. The producer Andrew Ogilvie was born in 1954 in New Zealand. He studied Anthropology at Otago University before leaving to travel and work in Australia, Asia and Europe. In 1982 he started his studies at Murdoch University in Western Australia. Between 1986 and 1991 Andrew worked as freelance director, camera operator or editor on more than 40 documentaries, short drama and/or corporate productions. TELLURIDE FILMFESTIVAL - USA Competing for "Alp/Cervino" award WINDHORSE Paul Wagner, USA/Nepal, 1998, 98¼, col., 35mm, english Dolker is a talented pop singer on the verge of stardom in Tibet, her brother Dorjan is a shocker-hall slacker. When their cousin Pena protests against the government and is tortured in prison, the two brothers take an hazardous decision to defy the Chinese communist regime. The director Paul Wagner, film producer very appreciated for his documentaries and winner of several awards, in 1984 Emmy Award as best producer, in 1882 winner at Telluride for "Miles of Smiles" and in 1995 at the Sundance Film Festival for "Out of Ireland". TELLURIDE FILMFESTIVAL - USA Competing for "Plateau Rosa" award TURTLE WORLD Nick Hilligoss, Australia, 1997, 8¼, col., 16mm, no dialogue A lone sea turtle travels through the vast emptiness of space. As she exhales, she creates an atmosphere, and that in turn leads to the evolution of a forested, mountainous home for some enterprising monkeys. Not content to dwell in the paradisiacal state, their industrious ways lead them to exploit their resources. Slowly they deplete everything the turtle had provided for them, without any thought for her well-being. She falls from the sky, but below is a vast ocean... The director Nick Hilligoss has worked at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for about 14 years. In 1994 he joined the Natural History Unit to make "Once Upon Australia", a documentary featuring animated versions of extinct animals. Nick designs and builds his latex puppets and the three dimensional sets that move around it. He is currently planning a new series of animated shorts. TORELLO FILMFESTIVAL ‚ SPAIN Competing for "Alp/Cervino" award MONTANAS DE AYER Guillermo Campo, Jesús Bosque, Spain, 1998, 44¼, col., video, english During the 30¼s and 40¼s nearly all the peaks of Riglos, in Spain, had been conquered; just one singular pinnacle remained, known for its bizarre form, it looks as a "cigar", which still hadn¼t been climbed. Ascending this spire of rock represents an exceptional challenge, and the most outstanding climbers of the nation were eyeing it carefully. The story of the conquest of this peak would be the most tragic of all the summits of this massif. The directors Independent filmmakers. TORELLO FILMFESTIVAL ‚ SPAIN Competing for "Plateau Rosa" award LA TORRE DEL PEQUENO AMIN Sebastian Alvaro, Spain, 1998, 55¼, col., video, english and spanish At the beginning of the 21st Century, discovering and exploration is still very much felt. Living the experience of getting in, for the first time, in a Vertical granite world that nobody has seen before. A group of three mountaineers tried the climbing the Aming Brakk, "The little Amin Tower", a gigantic wall, lost in a valley of the troubled zone in Kashmir, disputed by Pakistan and India. The director Sebastian Alvaro was born in Madrid in 1950. Journalist, employed at the TVE, Spanish television. He has shot several documentaries about Mountain-World like Oxygen and New Dimension. Since 1984 he has been working in TVE¼s series "Al filo de lo imposible", travelling around the five continents. TRENTO FILMFESTIVAL - ITALY Competing for "Alp/Cervino" award DER BESUCH Karl Prossliner, Austria, 1998, 70¼, video, german The film is focusing on an ordinary, typical life in a nepalese village. Thereafter, it continues with the integration of two nepalese citizens in an occidental world, their amazement, doubts and fears mingled together. The big difference between these two world, far in distance but ever so near in their thoughts. The director He went to a cinematographic school in Wien. He has been an independent film director since 1985 and has created several work. Karl has already participated to the Trento Filmfestival and won the "Gran Premio" with this film in 1998. TRENTO FILMFESTIVAL - ITALY Competing for "Plateau Rosa" award LE ANDE: VITA NEL CIELO Brando Quilici, Italy, 1997/98, 52¼, col., 16mm, italian This film follows the adventure of three men: in the exploration of archeological, spiritual and commercial richness of the Andes. Johan Reinhard, an archeologist, discovered two Incas mummies in the Central Cordillera of the Andes in 1995. They were children, sacrified, five centuries ago to save the Incas tribe from El Misti volcano. It continues in the traces of shaman Don Manuel and his young disciple, and with the story of Martino, a young miner who has to deliver half a ton of salt with a IIama caravan. The director Brando Quilici was born in Buenos Aires in 1958. He showed interest to follow in his father¼s footsteps, that is to be a journalist at an early age. In 1978 he established his own production society, with important international productions and TV series, as "Artico: Ultima Frontiera" , "Himalayas" and also "Vita nel Cielo", winner of the Trento Filmfestival. TRENTO FILMFESTIVAL - ITALY Competing for "Plateau Rosa" award DIE BERGE, DIE MENSCHEN, DER WAHN Stefan K–nig, Germany, 1998, 127¼, col., video, german This film is based on the cultural history of the mountains throughout the world. It begins with pre-historic accounts, continues with the early settlement of the alpine regions, at the days the mountains were accessible to hikers, climbers, skiers, expeditions and tourists. All along two questions are kept in mind: what impel and drive the people into these extreme landscapes, onto such dangerous heights? What do they get from the mountains and what do they do to the mountains? These questions are the basis for this documentary which takes a unique and comprehensive subject. Protagonists who give their account of the cultural history are experts in their field and with charismatic personalities, as Kurt Diemberger, Messner, Herzog, Sir Chris Bonington and Catherine Destivelle. The director Stefan König was born in Monaco di Baviera in 1959. Journalist, essayist and head editorial of mountain¼s reviews. Writing texts for Omega Film¼s documentaries, he has started his career as cinematographer, producing several films as "Adolf Vallazza - Kunst aus altem Holz", winner at the Filmfestival of Trento.