Our mission is to create a worldwide network of inspiring women from the mountaineering community, willing to share their encouraging stories, through a documentary video cycle "This is HER story". The words are inspired by my mentor Donna Carpenter (Burton snowboards), during the Global Sports Mentoring Program 2012.
The idea is based on an ongoing project Paravati, with Vanessa Beucher, who we had inspiring cooperation with in the past few years . While in "Koh I nor" (Iran 2015), we were amazed by Iranian female snowboarding enthusiasts, here we have focused on the activities in the Himalaya questioning the very small percent of Sherpa women involved in the high altitude mountaineering. After spending 3 months in Latin America, climbing, helping and interacting with great outdoor initiatives for sports in developing communities, the concept expanded internationally.
The first cycle of "This is HER story" is consisted of 3 episodes and total of 9 portraits. Each episode is portraying 3 unique female athletes with different origin, writing a history in the local communities with their outstanding results in the action sports. Identifying more role models through a visual international network will bring advanced cooperation between different cultures and a necessary motivation for young generations.
Why climbing?
In many countries the extreme action sports especially high altitude mountaineering and expedition climbing are under graded in valorization compared to other sports. One of the reasons for such unfair treatment is the absence of real competition while “conquering” a summit. In fact many circumstances bringing this activity on a high risk level, are not taken in consideration while valorizing the sport achievements as a national result. (Such as avalanches, storms, lack of Oxygen, extreme temperatures and distance from safety).
Why girls?
In some gymnastic and athletic sports women can be more active than men, whereas in the mountaineering sports women participate with only 10 % or less, while female athletes are drastically underrepresented in the media coverage. Still, we are not aiming to highlight the feministic side, but the passion, dedication and sport results of these athletes.
Script and director’s explication
Through simple personal stories of the athletes we will highlight the passion, dedication, sacrifice and engagements of these women in a man dominated sport, having in consideration the everyday’s responsibilities and expectations from their mostly underdeveloped societies. We are not focusing on a feminist point of view, but the real challenges, fears and obstacles. Each one of the girls will have an individual visual presentation, narrated through specific tools of the cinema language. This presentation will create a recognized style of the entire cycle. The idea is not to show the portraits in the first place but to present them slowly through elements and details of their sport and passion.
While presenting the portraits on the side we give titled information about their achievements, medals, results, records for finally presenting the entire name and portrait of each sport women in contemporary visual way.
Before we ask the first question we will see the girl in action. The questions will be written bellow on the shot, and the locations chosen will be the most convenient in order to get a sincere and natural appearance. The answers of the athletes will be visually supported with shots of training, action and archived materials.
At the end we show the last (3rd) question which remains unknown both for the athlete and for the audience, as an unexpected surprise for both sides.
Camera & visual picture
The colors dominating in each episode will mostly depend on the landscape and the season. The cycle will have a recognizable tonality in blue - grey colors.
The camera in each episode is dynamic and extreme in the part of presenting the athletes, capturing the strength, dangers and risk given by the mountain. Additional techniques used will be go pro, drone, slider and rigs.
For the time of the interview, camera is static and while shooting the landscape camera is poetic, describing the nature as the only competitor.
Editing & music
These two components will be connected in this project. As a style the music will be close to rock, including other instruments typical for the region presented and the origin of the athlete. The editing phase will be dictated by the music. Animation, design and 3D animation will be important part for the visual image of the project.
Format
- Each episode is presenting 3 portraits.
- The duration of one episode is 10 to 15 minutes.
- Type of shooting: Digital.
- Total episodes in this cycle: 3
- 9 portraits or 15 personages in total.
- Open content for growing larger.
Outreach
- Vimeo channel ‘This is her story’
- Social networks
- Mountain film festivals
- Website promotion and funding