The true blue outdoor adventurer is captured in the ski film, Hand Cut, screening at the Eagle Eye Theatre Thursday (Oct. 23).Lose the helicopters, the exotic trips and the million-dollar budget. Trade the hangers-on for a more humble style and you have Hand Cut, the new release from up-and-coming Colorado filmmakers, Sweetgrass Productions. Deep, backcountry, powder and ski mountaineering lines meet old-timer wisdom, as Hand Cut blends frontier flavour with backcountry riding in High Definition and brilliant 16mm film. From the hand-fired railroad days in Revelstoke to the miners of Colorado's San Juan mountains, the film details the rugged, hand-hewn, history of North American mountains. "We try to step back from the athlete-oriented style," said Sweetgrass director Nick Waggoner. "There's so much more to winter culture, to these towns, their history, and their people. With Hand Cut we wanted to draw the connection between old-time industry and mountain access, between frontier and recreation. You definitely won't see the shot of the helicopter or the guy pouring beer down his face and pounding his chest." Sweetgrass Productions steps back from a long line of helicopter and snowmobile infused films, with self-propelled, Hand Cut, riding from Alaska, British Columbia, and Colorado. While the film was made for pennies, Hand Cut doesn't lack in quality. With high-end cinematography and an original deep-country blues soundtrack, it's style that makes this film rich. From the mining stories of Joe Todeschi, a 92 year-old native of Silverton, Colorado to brilliantly shot inverts over yesteryear's mining towers on nearby Red Mountain Pass, the film is old soul and a step back from the MTV pace. Where weathered wood grain meets film grain, Sweetgrass lets the audience absorb each shot. "Our story and visuals have to be strong enough to work without the other," said Waggoner. "We want you to be able to close your eyes or turn off the sound, and still enjoy our films." Hand Cut plays at the Eagle Eye Theatre Thursday (Oct. 23) at 7 p.m. Tickets are $8 available at the door and Valhalla Pure Outfitters. Crowds can get in on a raffle and for gear from Patagonia, Larabar, Flylow and Backcountry Magazine. Check out www.sweetgrass-productions.com for all videos, photos, and tour information.
