This Mountain Life

This Mountain Life is an intricately crafted documentary, directed by Grant Baldwin, that sends a heartfelt tribute to those who have a deep connection with high-altitude wilderness. The captivating narration of the people who have chosen to live in the harshly beautiful landscape of British Columbia invites the audience into their unique lives of isolation, adventure, and extreme weather conditions.

The film's main narrative thread follows an incredibly daring mother-daughter duo, Martina and Tania Halik, as they undertake an epic six-month ski traverse from British Columbia to Alaska. We follow their journey through the beautiful yet unforgiving mountain terrain, enduring what the contrasting seasons had to offer. Their journey is marked by profound connection, endurance and personal spirituality which make for emotional highs and heartbreaking lows. Simon Beck, a snow artist, also features in the film, providing a contrast between his artistic yet physically grueling snow ventures, and the Haliks’ survivalist expedition.

The viewer is offered a glimpse into the lives of others who share a profound connection with the mountains, including a snow artist, a snowshoe artist, a retired climber, a trail builder, a bush pilot, an alpinist, a couple building an off-grid home, and a group of nuns. These characters reveal their compelling stories and dedicated lives in the wild showcasing their resilience and intimate understanding of the vivid scenery around them. One can't help but be amazed by their strength and willingness to submerge themselves in such challenging, yet rewarding climates.

This Mountain Life is shot with remarkable artistic beauty, seamlessly utilizing drone shots to capture the sweeping mountain vistas, dense forests, and pristine snow fields. The cinematography is evocative and incredibly powerful, not only representing the mountainous landscapes as postcard-worthy vistas but rather as living entities that interact and shape the lives of those residing within them. Baldwin's direction binds these features into a visual symphony–a journey of spirituality, where the inhabitants form an intimate bond with the mountains.

The film takes a minimalist approach to the soundtrack, allowing the natural sounds of the environment to come to the forefront and create a deeply immersive ambiance. The sound of the wind, running river water, and crunching ice underfoot uncomfortably juxtapose the silence and solemnity in between, making the vast expanse of the wilderness even more stark and profound.

The film also offers a philosophical exploration of our relationship with nature as it touches upon themes like simplicity, isolation, spiritualism and transcendence that these people experience in their quest to live in the mountains. The individuals in the documentary seem randomly chosen, but they all hold profound respect for the mountains, offering personal and emotional insights that resonate with viewers. The film portrays the mountains not merely as nature's architecture, but as a character themselves - silent, mighty and commanding respect.

One of the unique aspects of This Mountain Life is its ability to keep the audience engaged with a variety of characters showing different perspectives of mountain life. Simultaneously, it strikes a balance between sharing raw, unfiltered moments of struggle and uplifting instances of triumphs. There is a certain dichotomy portrayed - an apparent challenging and occasionally perilous life balanced by an incredible sense of contentment and peace that living in such a manner provides.

This Mountain Life goes beyond being a typical adventure film – it is a celebration of the human spirit that chooses an extraordinary discipline while living amid the vastness of nature. A pleasant change from the usual hustle of modern city life, this film serves as an engaging travelogue that offers not only splendid visuals but also intriguing narratives that grasp its viewer's imagination.

The audience, both nature lovers and otherwise, will find This Mountain Life a cinematic tableau that is both visually stunning and deeply contemplative. It leaves you reflecting on the fundamental connection we all have with nature, and how such an existence can offer unparalleled spiritual fulfillment. Even after the end credits roll, the captivating images and hard-hitting life stories continue to resonate.