The Approach Film
It's 2021. It shouldn't be radical to put out a winter action film NOT centered around a cast of white males, yet the Approach film, directed by Anne Cleary of The Mad Trees, does just that–and it feels monumental. The Approach highlights the athleticism of BIPOC, women, and adaptive skiers and snowboarders, featuring big action shots and steep lines filmed in the backcountry and heliskiing in Alaska. The cast of the Approach, assembled with the help of industry veteran and co-producer Ingrid Backstrom, includes Brooklyn Bell, Leanne Pelosi, Vasu Sojitra, Emilé Zynobia, Sophia Rouches, Anna Soens, Marie-France Roy, amongst others.
"I would always watch ski films and be like, when is there going to be somebody who looks like me. Am I going to have to do it myself?" said professional athlete Brooklyn Bell. It turns out, the answer is a hard "Yes."
"The original concept behind this film was exploring the concept of being the token, adaptive athlete or the token black woman or the token female and trying to debunk that. It's about more than just checking a box for representation. The more we broaden our scope and bring people into the space, we create a better space for everyone," says director Anne Cleary.
Emilé Zynobia, Brooklyn Bell, and Ingrid Backstrom on location while filming for the Approach.
And that's precisely what the Approach does. It makes space for new people, and frankly, seeing the pure stoke of shredding snow on new faces is inspiring. The crew is seen heliskiing in Alaska and dropping into massive terrain for the first time. Every athlete steps up to the occasion, and as a viewer, you can feel the progression that this film has fueled. It really is all about creating the opportunity. It's awesome to see Brooklyn Bell dropping into a spine, Emilé Zynobia carving huge turns down a steep face, Anna's face shots, and Sophia Rouche sending a backflip over the infamous Mt. Baker road gap- the first woman to do so.
"I'm hoping that more people will see a space for themselves in winter action films. It doesn't have to be the same story every time with the same characters over and over again. I would encourage anyone who has been in the space for a while to invite other people in. There's so much room for everybody," continues Anne.
On the Road with photographer Sofia Jaramillo, director Anne Cleary, and athletes Ingrid Backstrom and Emilé Zynobia.
Besides the athletes in the film, most of the production and film crew were women, another rarity in the outdoor industry. "We loved having an all women crew. We were able to really support each other, be intuitive and lean on each other. We were all in these scenarios out of our comfort zone, and it was really positive to be there together." says Cleary.
The Approach will be available online soon. Stay tuned.
