The Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival – JULY 24th – AUGUST 2nd 2020
https://www.nziff.co.nz/2020/at-home-online/
In this PODCAST Amanda Peters speaks with Before Everest Director Richard Riddiford
PREMIERES – AUGUST 2nd @ 4pm
At a time when the world is curious, representations of a gender diverse urban community juxtaposed with small town New Zealand offer hopeful spaces. How a slight by the man on the five dollar bill lead to a quest to the himalayas. Some scenes and conversations may disturb when exploring lives that are both extraordinary and ordinary. How stigma around subject matter shrouds the importance of. These are the kind of honest explorations to be found in Rurangi, Girl on a Bridge, Before Everest, Tupaia’s Endeavour and Loimata.
In the strange new world of 2020 the International Film festival is mostly at home and online. But there are some screenings in the Issac Theatre Royal and lumiere Cinemas and New Zealand Aotearoa directors are keen for you to come along and be part of a live community when they share their films in person Richard Riddiford, Max Currie, Leanne Pooley and Anna Marbrook are all here with their films
In 1951, climber Earle Riddiford organised New Zealand’s first Himalayan expedition, inviting an Auckland beekeeper by the name of Ed Hillary along. The successful ascent of Mukut Parbat (7,242 metres) opened the pathway to Everest for Hillary, a debt our national hero never fully acknowledged.Upset and confused by Hillary’s comment, Earle’s daughter Anna Riddiford was driven to find answers, and to better understand her difficult father, on a journey spanning 15 years. Brother Richard’s reluctance to engage forms part of the film, as they confront the highest stakes in mountaineering history. “What do you do when the man on the $5 note disparages your father?”Using interviews with Riddiford’s climbing companions, archival audio and photographs, modern footage of the Southern Alps and a trek through the Indian Himalayas, Before Everest explores the determination of a man who catapulted New Zealanders to Everest. Anecdotes from Hillary writer Tom Scott also lend further clues to the nature of Sir Ed’s relationship with Riddiford and his peers.Beyond its appreciation of mountains and climbing, the film’s discovery of truths makes for a compelling and ultimately uplifting journey through one family’s history. — Shaun BarnettAbout the Filmmaker
Richard Riddiford is a director and producer based in Auckland. His documentaries span finance, politics, history and the arts, notably The Temptation of Rossano Fan, which premiered at NZIFF in 2011. He has also directed the feature films Arriving Tuesday (1986) and Zilch! (1989).
