The Nahanni Whisperer
2018 MOFF Selection
About This Project
Director:
Dominique Snyers
Total Running Time:
0:53:02
Origin:
Belgium
Synopsis:
Four young climbers dream of climbing the Lotus Flower Tower, a legendary big wall, somewhere in the Cirque of the Unclimbables in the furthest outreaches of Northern Canada. For 800 m of climbing, they will have to face 550 km of dangerous Nahanni river over a whole month of total independence. Given that they have only limited experience in this type of adventure, they persuade Dom, a seasoned traveller 33 years their senior, to help them get this expedition off the ground. Whereas Dom will be fulfilling his teenage dream of riding the Nahanni rapids, he is also about to realise that the Lotus Flower will be his last ‘Big Wall’ climb. A poetic and fun adventure of passing the baton between generations, a point where the dream becomes reality.
This film to be screened at:
9/29/18 – FEATURES SATURDAY – 3:00pm Talbot Auditorium (USM) – Portland, ME (FB Event)
From the Filmmaker:
The adventures of the expedition related here is the most ambitious one I have ever set up: one month of total independence with 4 other less experienced adventurers, in the furthest outreaches of northern Canada, to descend the Nahanni, one of the wildest rivers on earth, and to climb a legendary wall of 800 m.
It was great from a sports, scenery and human point of view. However, this expedition has been particularly special to me. Descending the Nahanni was like going back to childhood. At the age of 15 indeed, I was absolutely spell-bound by the book ‘Nahanni’, the last book ever written by Roger Frison Roche and ‘Victoire sur la Nahanni’ [Victory over the Nahanni], an account of the very first descent. These books literally propelled me into Adventure with a capital letter. Time flies, and of course, there will be other expeditions, but I realised along the way that this is going to be my very last great climb, my very last ‘big wall’. I have been lucky enough to share this important transition for me with climbing companions, who have been able to understand this emotive handing over of the baton.
This is also my very first film as a director. This signals a whole new chapter in the pursuit of my passion for transferring knowledge.
