On Jan. 5 and 6 in the Baylor Chapel, Baylor's Walkabout program will be presenting "The Best of Telluride Mountainfilm on Tour" – a festival of mountain, adventure, environmental, and cultural films.
Each night will feature a number of films ranging from five minutes to 50 minutes in length. The films will begin at 6:30 and end at 9:30 each night. Admission is $8 at the door for the general public and covers both nights.
Examples of some of the films we will be showing:
I MADE IT
Fredrik Blomquist
Amid all the craziness generated by the recent Everest hysteria, Sweden's Goran Kropp, had a simpler approach.
Figure what you need to climb Everest alone, lay it out in the kitchen, strap it on to your bike, ride across Europe and Asia and go climb the mountain. This disarming tale, one man's determination "to do it my way," is at the core of a very human approach to adventure. Perfectly photographed and charmingly told. (Sweden, 1997, 46 min.)
BISCUIT
Peter Mortimer
The climbing canine...he goes where many humans wouldn't dare to go. Meet Biscuit, a Jack Russell Terrier and inspiration for us all. Part of the Front Range Freaks series. (US, 3 min)
POROROCA
Joachim Hellinger
"In the ocean a good wave might last 30 seconds; but the pororoca, you can surf several minutes." - Carlos Burle This is the story of a mystic expedition deep into the heart of the Amazon jungle to ride a strange tidal wave hundreds of kilometers from the ocean - the most exotic surf trip ever. With the dry season drawing to a close and the full moon setting in the West, an unusual natural phenomenon creates a great roar, know as poroc poroc in the native Tupi Indian dialect that can be heard throughout the Amazon's many mouths. With that river's seaward flow at a minimum, twice a year huge Atlantic tides hurl the water straight back with a devastating fury. Ross Clarke-Jones, winner of the Hawaii "Eddie Aiku," the most prestigious event in surfing, joins Carlos Burle, Brazilian winner of the Reef Big Wave World Championship, and others to see if these big waves can be ridden. (Germany, 2003, 26 min)
ESCAPE FROM TIBET
Nick Gray
Filmmakers with Yorkshire Television join one group of Tibetan refugees as they escape on foot from Tibet over the Himalayas into Nepal and India.
With the youngest member in the group at eleven years old, these refugees endure a journey far more bitter than anything we could imagine. Hiking in sneakers, carrying all of their belongings on their backs, the refugees discuss along the way why they have chosen to leave, and what they hope to see on the other side.
CULTURE/ADVENTURE
(UK/Yorkshire Television, 1995, 50 min)
Best Environmental Advocacy Film: 2002
FRENCH FRIES TO GO
Howard Donner
This is a fast-paced look at how one person can make a difference with a diesel engine and discarded vegetable oil. Meet Telluride's rapping environmentalist Charris Ford and learn about his bio-diesel empire high in the San Juan Mountains! (USA, 2002, 12 min)
A DÍOS
Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire
A filmmaker follows a young boy as he wanders the streets of his neighborhood in Colombia with an old TV - a wordless commentary on the influence of television on the cultures of today set to the rhythmic melodies of Los Hermanos Zuleta. You will never look at your television in the same way again. (France, 2001, 5 min)
THE JANITOR
Vanessa Schwartz
This wonderful animation is a MOUNTAINFILM favorite, knowing in the ways of the Lord, the weatherman, and infinitely useful with respect to the way in which "things just get screwed up." (US, 1994, 5 min.)
MONTY PYTHON: HAIRDRESSERS' EXPEDITION TO EVEREST
The challenges of Everest remain a continuing source of debate. Thank God Rickey
Pule has spoken to a desperate need.
RIVER RUNNERS OF THE GRAND CANYON
Don Briggs
No one knows more about Grand Canyon history than river runner/filmmaker Don Briggs...two vignettes, archival footage from the 1800s to the 1950s, that follow two whacky and somewhat successful trips down the Grand Canyon by unconventional means. (US, 8 min)
RIVERSENSE
Katie Geis
Experienced water people develop an affinity with their medium that is called "riversense." Such a sense is as valuable a tool as the boat or helmet when navigating the hazards of a river. This film takes a thoughtful look at the injury and recovery of Durango, Colorado-based boater Dunbar Hardy, offering a glimpse of the commitment that brings people through the most adverse experiences. (USA, 30 min)
GATHERERS FROM THE SKY
Gauthier Flauder
The Minang live on the shores of Sumatra's Lake Maninjao inside a crater formed by three volcanoes and surrounded by three million coconut trees.
But the Minang no longer climb these trees, instead relying upon monkeys for the harvest. Bourhan is now an old man, however, and no longer can train monkeys... yet a new monkey that comes as part of his wife's inheritance manages to unravel his plans for a calmer life. (France, 1995, 26 min.)
HE DANCES FOR HIS CORMORANTS
Frederic Fougea
A marriage, an egg and a birth lead to the charming story of Zong Man and his cormorants. This tradition, which has survived more than 1000 years, man and bird working in collaboration to bring in the yearly harvest, continues to sustain the people of the Li River among China's Celestial Mountains. (France, 1993, 26 min.)
HONEY HUNTERS OF NEPAL
Eric Valli
A classic masterpiece from the director of the highly-acclaimed film Himalaya, this is a MountainFilm favorite. High in the forests of the Himalayas there continues a tradition that is still passed from one generation to the next. "As far back as anyone remembers, when a honey-hunter dies, another one takes his place," explains the narrator, as the cameras follow the hunters on their bi-annual trek into the woods, equipped with ancient climbing ropes, suspended ladders, and the knowledge they have inherited from their predecessors. Their feat puts any modern-day climber to shame - scaling each vertical face with grace to pluck the harvest from the deadly swarms of Himalayan bees. A truly
fascinating, timeless masterpiece.
(France, filmed in Nepal, 1988, 26 min)
TIBET'S STOLEN CHILD
The institution of the Panchen Lama was established in the 14th century by the fifth Dalai Lama. Through the centuries, these two spiritual leaders walked an interwoven path. Upon learning of the death of the Panchen Lama in 1989, the Dalai Lama announced the recognition of a child, Gendun Choekyl Nyima, as his successor. The Chinese Government reacted swiftly.
The boy and his parents were last seen in May of 1995, just four days after he had been publicly identified. He was six years old. Soon after their disappearance, the Chinese government announced they had chosen a different boy and proclaimed him the Panchen Lama. This story of abduction, intrigue, and morality is told through the voices of detectives, abduction experts, and six Nobel Peace laureates. CULTURE (USA, 1999, 15 min)
DEVOTION AND DEFIANCE: Buddhism and the Struggle for Religious Freedom in Tibet The International Campaign for Tibet This engaging documentary examines the recent growth of religious institutions inside Tibet and the complex struggle of monks and nuns who defy the Chinese government's
heavy-handed control over their country. Extensive footage from monasteries within Tibet reveals the unshakable resolve that Buddhism enables. Their struggle is far from over. (United States, 2004, 34 min)
FALLING
John Armstrong
This short film is both a thrill ride and a meditation about harmonizing with the awesome forces of nature. Featuring the waterfalls of Agua Azul, Mexico, and kayaking legends Hayden Glatte and Lars Holbek, this film will take you on an unforgettable ride through waterworld. (Mexico, 2004, 5 min)
I NEED TO CATCH A FISH
Howard Donner & Robert Murphy
Filmmaker Howard Donner was ejected from a whitewater raft that he was guiding and landed on a story. As he was recovering from his ailments on the riverbank, he met a hermit named Kelly C., who appeared with a poultice made of blanched comfrey leaves. In the days that followed, Donner had many discussions about living the simple life with a man who dines on the local cuisine of wild mushrooms, acorns, fish and the occasional road-killed deer. The film follows Kelly on a typical day, and is ultimately less about what he does and more about his simple yet poignant philosophy. "I Need to Catch a Fish" touches on aspects of freedom and the typical human addiction to collect more stuff. It speaks to living each day, and relishing in the simple pleasures that every day brings.
(United States, 2004, 11 min)