Für alle, die es noch nicht mitbekommen haben: Ab 11. Oktober tourt die European Outdoor Film Tour (EOFT) wieder durch 13 Länder und durch über 230 Städte in ganz Europa. Hamburg ist am 2., 3., 4. und 5. November dran. Alle anderen Termine findet man hier (und kann da auch Tickets bestellen). Ich selbst habe mir ein Ticket für den 3.11. gekauft, falls mal jemand persönlich „Hallo“ sagen will.
Für alle, die die EOFT noch nicht kennen: WHAAAAAAAAT?! Schäm dich! Stell dich in die Ecke und schau dabei möglichst unauffällig auf deinem Smartphone schnell hier nach: www.eoft.eu
Für alle, die das diesjährige Programm noch nicht kennen: Es wird neun Filme geben und damit ca. 120min berauschende Bilder und eindrucksvolle Erlebnisse von inspirierenden Menschen: NOBODY´S RIVER (Kajak-Abenteuer), EL SENDERO LUMINOSO (Free Solo Klettern), DON´T LOOK DOWN (Urbanes Klettern/Parcour), THE FROZEN TITANS (Eisklettern), RAD COMPANY (Mountainbiken), DREAM (Kajak-Action), CAVE CONNECTION (Höhlenexpedition) und SHADES OF WINTER – PURE (Freeride Skiing). Weiter unten wartet auch noch der Trailer auf euch…
Für alle, die gerne zwei Tickets gewinnen wollen: Der Veranstalter der EOFT, Moving Adventures Medien (danke Monika), mag St. Bergweh und hat für seine Bewohner zwei Tickets für eine Veranstaltung eurer Wahl in einer Stadt eurer Wahl (sofern noch nicht ausverkauft) bereitgestellt. Um die zu gewinnen, geht auf die St. Bergweh Facebook-Seite und gebt dem zugehörigen Beitrag bis 11. Oktober 23.59 Uhr ein Like und schreibt in den Kommentar, für welche Stadt und welches Datum ihr gerne zwei Tickets hättet. Ganz einfach. Und wenn ihr schon dabei seid, gebt auch der St. Bergweh Facebook-Seite ein „Gefällt mir“ oder ladet eure Freunde ein – auf das St. Bergweh mit netten und tollen Menschen weiter wachsen und gedeihen möge.
Für alle, die jetzt noch nicht eingeschlafen sind oder weggeklickt haben: Nach dem Trailer habe ich für euch ein exklusives Interview mit Amber Valenti, einer der vier Kajakerinnen, die in der östlichen Mongolei den längsten freifließenden Fluss der Welt abgepaddelt haben, den Amur. Dabei hat mich nicht nur das Abenteuer an sich wahnsinnig interessiert, sondern auch der Fakt, dass wieder nur zwei der neun EOFT-Filme weibliche Protagonisten haben. Was Amber dazu sagt, lest ihr weiter unten.
Also erst einmal herzlichen Glückwunsch: Du gehörst zu den 10 Prozent, die tatsächlich weitergescrollt und es bis hierher geschafft haben. Darauf kannst du schon mal sehr stolz sein. Wenn du mir jetzt noch eine Frage beantwortest, dann bist du mein persönlicher Held. Oder meine persönliche Heldin – wo wir schon beim Thema wären: Warum finden so wenig Actionsport-/Adventure-/Exploring-Videos mit weiblichen Hauptrollen Einzug in die Programme der großen Filmtouren? Egal ob die EOFT oder die vergleichbare Banff Mountain Film Fest World Tour: In den letzten beiden Jahren waren immer nur lediglich ein bis zwei weibliche Akteure dabei. Eine miese Quote wie ich finde und fast einen #Aufschrei wert. Aber Stopp! Wieso rege ich mich eigentlich auf. Das sollten (und können) doch die Mädels selbst tun. Deshalb habe ich Amber Valenti genau diese Frage gestellt und eine überraschende Antwort bekommen (siehe Interview unten). Und nach dem Interview mit Amber habe ich noch ein Schmankerl für Euch und zwar ein furzendes Einhorn. Natürlich nicht ohne Grund. Mit ihm startet der Film „Pretty Faces“ von Freestyle Skifahrerin Lindsey Dyers, der diesen Herbst veröffentlicht werden soll. Und auch Lindsey hat eine klare Meinung zu dem Thema. Nun aber erst einmal Amber:
STB: The headline of your first blog post is „Are you crazy?“. Are you?
Amber: It depends on your definition. If we are talking about someone who is willing to step outside of societal norms and the well worn path and see what else is out there – absolutely! I am passionate about seeing things from a different angle or with a new lens. And in this case we went very far away on a big adventure to do that. The post itself that you are referring to was also poking a bit of fun at how many people were in shock that we were going on this expedition. I can’t tell you how many people told us: „You guys are crazy! I can’t believe you are doing this.“
STB: What was your inspiration and motivation for this journey?
Amber: To go see and experience for ourselves a perfectly connected river while we still had the opportunity. One without any dams. There are just a precious few free flowing rivers of this size left. We wanted to see one for ourselves and tell it’s story. So even if we don’t manage to protect one for future generations, they will know they existed and how amazing they were. We also just wanted to go exploring.
STB: And is there a reason why you did the journey as a group of four women?
Amber: It happened pretty organically. All the people I felt compelled to invite were female. As I realized this, I instantly loved the idea of telling this story through the eyes of women. And of this story being distinctly female. Not because I did not want men involved. Thank goodness for all of the amazing men in our lives and communities. But there are so few women telling their stories, especially in the adventure world. I hear this brought up at nearly every event these days, that the feminine voice and perspective is so often absent. So, it was a great opportunity for us.
STB: You and some freeride skiing girls are the only female athletes at the European Outdoor Film Tour as far as I know. Are girls less adventurous than boys? Is there less interest by people and by the industry in women adventure projects, because they are probably less risky, not that tough and not crazy enough?
Amber: That would be a huge oversimplification of a much bigger story. The lack of female voices and representation is not unique to adventure film. And so many people are asking why right now. Why are there fewer female CEO’s? Explorers? Politicians? There are most certainly individual factors. Self doubt, self criticism, and fear are the ones I hear cited most often by women as individual obstacles. And these are so important for us to take a look at, to learn from, and to overcome. But what I don’t hear talked about often enough is why women have these internal barriers.
As Tara Mohr recently wrote, „The pervasiveness of women’s self-doubt makes clear: this is a social and cultural phenomenon. It was created by social and cultural factors – the dearth of capable women leaders we see, the objectification of women in advertising and entertainment, the lack of girls’ media with female heroines and protagonists, the ways vocal and powerful women are still told they are too aggressive, too abrasive. It was created by a history of the marginalization and denigration of women and how that history shaped us to see ourselves. Of course, that history left an internal legacy in us.“
This is powerful stuff. By looking at both sides of the coin we begin to see that by overcoming these individual barriers as women, by learning to be brave and adventurous forces in the world, by no longer allowing our self doubt to limit us, and by putting these stories out there in the world, we are doing big, powerful work with historical significance. We are doing work that moves our culture forward.
STB: Would you like to see more women doing things like you do and more women at the European Outdoor Film Tour?
Amber: I would like to see both men and women living and telling their unique stories. The story that only they can live. That only they can tell. I’d love to see this at EOFT and beyond. As a global culture we need to be telling and hearing both. Our little boys need to hear stories about brave and wise women just as much as our little girls. And at the end of the day we all need to keep hearing powerful human stories whether they are in a male voice or a female voice.
STB: What was the most intense moment on your journey?
Amber: Paddling on the Amur river where it feels like the ocean, a place so big and powerful you feel instantly how small you are. Humbling waves and wind. There is no overpowering it. There is no forcing it. You can only be humble and surrender to it.
STB: Just before leaving your home you wrote, that your journey is ultimately about the inward ride. What does that mean? Did you find out, who you have been all along?
Amber: I’ve learned so much. And I learn more every day. But this is it. Let’s say it with the words of Jordan Bach: „This is why we’re here: to find what we’ve lost, to remember what we’ve forgotten, to return home after being homesick. And to return again and again and again.“
Auf die Frage, warum Frauen im Bereich Adventure Sports so große Schwierigkeiten haben, ernstgenommen zu werden, antwortet Lindsey Dyer in einem Interview auf outsideonline.com: „I hate to say it, but often times, because there are so few females out there, people give them a chance only out of charity. But watching girls do these kinds of sports can be entertaining and awesome. Females are so dynamic but no one has really taken advantage of all the flavor that girls bring, good and bad. I wanted to celebrate that so we could all find a little more self-acceptance. It’s important for girls to see that we do have a place. We belong here. We don’t have to be guys, and we don’t have to be super sexy to be accepted. There’s a place for us to be who we are.“ WEITERSAGEN!