DOCUMENTARIES

HOT DOCS 2018: THIS MOUNTAIN LIFE

Published

6 years ago

May 5, 2018

It’s great to see both Grant Baldwin and Jenny Rustemeyer put out another documentary after the great success of The Clean Bin Project and Just Eat It. This time around the two decided to do something completely different in their filmmaking journey with This Mountain Life which premiered at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. The documentary explores the lives of those who inhabit the mountains of British Columbia and how they are completely a different breed of people. From a mother and daughter team who go on a six month self supported journey in the mountains to a group of nuns who set up a retreat to be closer to God, the stories the film explores is like no other. The Mountain Life is a beautiful cinematic experience that is well crafted with its jaw dropping imagery. FERNTV spoke to director Grant Baldwin about what it took to make this film…

FERNTV: What made you decide to steer away from environmental issues in what you filmed in Just Eat It and The Clean Bin Project and do something a little bit different?

Grant: I wasn’t keen on covering a new environmental issue unless I was passionate about it. We were asked to make a film about few issues. My heart was with these stories instead.

FERNTV: What was the major difference you found in filming something like Mountain Life as opposed to your previous films?

Grant: We are not in this one! Our approach was cinematically driven. I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked on the forthcoming Planet Earth series (2019). I’ve incorporated that same visual approach to This Mountain Life, but following compelling humans in the mountains instead.

FERNTV: How did you find your subjects for your film?

Grant: You would think the internet, but for this it was word of mouth, person to person contact. Bernhard (50 years off grid character) physically mailed us hand drawn map to his home in the mountains. We had no idea what to expect.

FERNTV: Can you tell us about how you felt about filming the beauty of the landscapes in the documentary?

Grant: I’ve spent the last 10 years filming pro skiers in this environment, but it was always product or brand driven. I always met these interesting people in these environments who didn’t fit the mould for selling product.

I thought their stories deserved to be told. Give them a chance to shine in this type of film. It’s pure documentary with no logos opening the film.

FERNTV: Besides funding, what was the biggest obstacle that you had to face when filming Mountain Life?

Grant: Cold, broken gear and more cold. Staying light and small was the only was to cover these stories. 2 person crew max. 1 to cook, setup camp, melt snow for water and myself to film.

FERNTV: Which person/subject in the film that you related to most?

Grant: Martina and Tania. I could only dream to have the strength, knowledge and drive. My heros. I’m not certain people can really understand what they survived.

FERNTV: What do you learn most about your experience in filming Mountain Life?

Grant: Let the shots breathe, let the camera wait for the moment, instead of hunting for it.

FERNTV: How does it feel to be part of Hot Docs this year?

Grant: My favourite fest in the world! I’ll always come here even if I don’t have a film out! Happy 25 years!

www.moutainlifefilm.com

https://vimeo.com/241463863

This Mountain Life – Trailer (https://vimeo.com/241463863)

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Fernando Fernandez

Fernando Fernandez is a graduate of Environmental Studies at York University in Toronto. He became interested in entertainment journalism in the late 2000s writing for online startups. He founded FERNTV in 2009 and focused mainly on the film industry. With over a thousand interviews conducted with all walks of life in film, he is still learning as if every day is day one.