European Outdoor Film Tour 2018

The European Outdoor Film Tour returns with a selection of the latest documentaries featuring all manner of foolhardy outdoor adventuring. There will be 7-9 films in total.

These are the ones confirmed so far, with official blurbs:

A TO B ROLLERSKI
In 1988, Raimonds Dombrovskis began the longest training run of his biathlon career. Accompanied by his dog, he set out to cover 6,700 kilometers on rollerskis, from Canada’s far north to the Mexican border. The gravel roads are bumpy, the leggings are skintight, and the outcome of the project is highly uncertain. But the winds of change are blowing—not only in the streets of North America but also in Raimonds’s Latvian homeland. He is convinced that the collapse of the Soviet Union is imminent. His dream is to compete for the Latvian (not the Soviet!) biathlon team at the next Olympic Winter Games… but first, he has to make it to Mexico.

VIACRUXIS
There are times when a mountaineering expedition turns into an absolute nightmare—even if you reach the summit and sometimes because of it. Fortunately, our two stalwart mountaineers are unaware of what lies ahead of them on this tour. They wordlessly fight their way through snow and ice. Just as the summit photo op comes into view, their expedition takes an unexpected turn. Viacruxis is a thoughtfully animated stop-motion film about the obstacles one must face on the mountain—big and small.

THE A.O.
Adam Ondra is one of the most successful and versatile sport climbers of our time. He successfully climbed the most difficult route in the world, now called Silence, and established a new level of difficulty—9c. The Czech climber has also shown what he can do when it comes to big wall climbing; his strong, lean body seems to effortlessly transcend gravity. But is it simply Adam’s muscle power and endurance that enables him to conquer the most difficult routes? Or is it his mental strength that drives him climb an 8a while blindfolded? We find out more about the forces that drive this climbing talent to new heights in The A.O.

8000+
In July 2016, the paraglider Antoine Girard set off on a threeweek hike-and-fly tour to explore the Karakorum mountains in Pakistan—alone. The Frenchman has already twice failed in his attempts to climb the 8,051-meter-high Broad Peak and paraglide from the summit down into the valley. Now, his hope is that the upwinds will carry him and his chute to the summit—and possibly beyond. If he succeeds, he will set a new altitude record in paragliding, but the air is thin between the 8,000-meter peaks, and take-offs and landings are extremely tricky.

NORTH OF NIGHTFALL
Axel Heiberg Island is Canada’s seventh largest island and lies north of the Arctic Circle. In winter, it is cloaked in total darkness and completely blanketed by snow and ice. But when the sun rises again, the island flourishes, revealing its rocky landscape crisscrossed by mighty glaciers and offering the most spectacular mountain bike terrain. It’s no wonder Darren Berrecloth, Carson Storch, Cam Zink, and Tom van Steenbergen can’t resist the endless descents.

THE FRENCHY
“No problem!” Anyone who hears Jacques Houot’s life story will be surprised at how the 82-year-old has managed to reach this age. There were at least 23 times in his life when he could have met his end all too early. Somehow, he has always managed to land on his feet and keep going. Today, Jacques spends most of his time in the mountains near his home in Carbondale (Colorado). No mountain bike trail and no ski slope is safe from the likes of this native Frenchman. Jacques Houot loves life and he lets everyone know it.

There are two screenings at the Anson Rooms. Go here for tickets to the 4pm show and here for tickets to the 7:30pm one.