Événement

ESMFF Saturday Night - Precious Leader Woman / Spirit of the Peaks

PRECIOUS LEADER WOMAN
Director Cassie De Colling
Run Time 46 mins
Hailing from the remote village of Alert Bay, B.C., Spencer OBrien is a world-renowned snowboarder. In 2014, she was expected to win gold at the Sochi Olympics, but when she placed 12th, fans were shocked. What few people knew is that Spencer was suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis, hiding a debilitating pain that impacted her ability to compete. After the defeat, she retreated to her hometown in the traditional territory of Kwakwaka'wakw to recover. There, with the guidance of her family and close-knit community, she reconnected with her Indigenous culture, helping her regain the strength to reenter the sport and defy all odds.

PRECIOUS LEADER WOMAN invites us into Spencers world and gives us an intimate look at the determination and grit required to chase big dreams, revealing that our roots are often our biggest strength.

SPIRIT OF THE PEAKS
Directors Connor Ryan & Tim Kressin
Run Time 41 mins
Produced in partnership with REI Co-op Studios, Wondercamp and NativesOutdoors, and co-directed by Hunkpapa Lakota skier Connor Ryan, Spirit of the Peaks is a film about the struggle for balance between two worlds. For Connor, skiing in Ute Territory has always raised questions about being in reciprocity with the land and its people. As a skier who connects with the land through sport, he empathizes with the injustices that have displaced the Utes and ongoing colonization, erasure and extraction impacting the Ute people. This story connects conflicted pasts to an awakening in cultural awareness that can create an equitable future for Indigenous people and skiers. Connor's mission with the film is to do his part in restoring balance with all inhabitants of these mountains by illuminating the Utes' culture and traditional knowledge that can benefit everyone in the fight to preserve the land and dissipating snowpack.