The outdoors are for everyone — to enjoy, protect and respect. This program features just a few films from WILD that we believe embody this spirit.
Two of the films in this program, Becoming Ruby and This Land were recently shown as part of the Virtual Mountainfilm Festival 2020 and we wanted to share them with you as well.
We hope you enjoy.
Outdoors for Everyone
Becoming Ruby
Director: Dave MayersUSA, 2019, 18m
A black woman from the mostly white city of Bellingham, Washington, Brooklyn Bell found her place outdoors, mountain biking competitively, with help from an avatar she created and then emulated. As a young, female, athlete with an artistic sensibility, Brooklyn, like Ruby, painstakingly constructs her identity as an outsider, literally and figuratively. She notes a fine distinction “between being welcome and being included,” but concludes that when it comes to outdoor sports, “when I get into the action of the thing, it doesn’t matter what I look like or who I am. What matters is being connected to the dirt.”
Director: Dave MayersUSA, 2019, 18m
A black woman from the mostly white city of Bellingham, Washington, Brooklyn Bell found her place outdoors, mountain biking competitively, with help from an avatar she created and then emulated. As a young, female, athlete with an artistic sensibility, Brooklyn, like Ruby, painstakingly constructs her identity as an outsider, literally and figuratively. She notes a fine distinction “between being welcome and being included,” but concludes that when it comes to outdoor sports, “when I get into the action of the thing, it doesn’t matter what I look like or who I am. What matters is being connected to the dirt.”
Birds of North America: The Ward Brothers and the Mourning Warbler
Official Selection 2020
USA, 2019, 5m
In Birds of North America, Jason Ward travels the country delighting audiences with his contagious curiosity about the natural world. When he and his younger brother, Jeffrey, head to Central Park, they discuss their “spark” birds, compare notes on birding while black and inevitably their competitive instincts get triggered.
Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit
Official Selection
Director: James Suter
South Africa, 2016, 5m
Black Mamba is a documentary about young, fearless women working in the anti-poaching unit who go out in the bush everyday — weaponless — to patrol and protect wildlife. These courageous women have inspired many through raising awareness of poaching by visiting 668 learners, educating the youth and providing jobs.
Persian Powder
Endless powder fields and a magnitude of potential lines aren’t immediately what you may think of when talking about Iran…
This mini documentary tells the story of Iranian pro snowboarder Mona Seraji who invites two fellow snowboarders from Australia, Amber Arazny and Michaela Davis-Meehan, to come discover the wonderful mountains of Iran.
No Friends But The Mountains
Best Student Film 2017
Director: Joosung Kwon
UK, 2016, 35m
Hana Raza, a conservationist in Iraq, struggles to preserve the pristine nature of her homeland from the destructive effects of war and unregulated economic development. Her parents took up arms against the oppressive regime of Saddam Hussein. Now she fights to protect the animals and the environment of Iraq.
This Land
Director: Whit Hassett & Chelsea Jolly
USA, 2019, 10m
Runner and advocate Faith E. Briggs used to run through the streets of Brooklyn every morning. Now, she’s running 150 miles through three U.S. National Monuments that lay in the thick of the controversy around public lands. Accompanied by running companions who represent diverse perspectives in what it means to be a public land owner, she assesses what is at stake if previously protected lands are reduced and if the public is largely unaware. THIS LAND is a story about land access told through a journey of inclusion and empowerment.