40 mins, Director Maddy Whittaker, NZ, World Premiere. HIDDLESTON/MACQUEEN AWARD – BEST NZ MADE FILM
With an average age of 22, the four New Zealand Alpine Kids (as they called themselves) set off from Arthur’s Pass. The dream was to traverse the spine of the Southern Alps for the next three months until they reached Fiordland. The mountains are wonderful, beautiful and healing – but they are healing because they make us confront things that get drowned out in regular civilisation. For Maddy, she had to face up to her own mind, eventually resulting in her leaving the traverse after two months to address her underlying depression. This film is for the third of the audience that will experience a significant period of “extended mental distress” in their life, and the fifth of the audience that has a current depression diagnosis. You are not alone.
