All Images: Mark Clinton, Courtesy of the Faction Collective | Skier: Giulia Tanno
On Movie Monday, FREESKIER brings you free movies from the wide world of skiing. With a mix of old and new, this is where you can find your weekly dose of freeski history, adrenaline and cinema mastery all in one.
There is an age-old debate that rages amongst our community. Are we athletes or enthusiasts? Artists or riders? Are we here for the culture or the adrenaline? The answer varies case by case, but in all, it’s hard to deny that there is something intrinsically artful about skiing. It is spontaneous, chaotic, enchanting and expressive. What else do you need from an art form? But maybe that’s putting too much weight on something that can be boiled down to sliding on snow.
Faction is a company that’s well-positioned to try and answer this age-old question. Their products are functional art in every sense of the term, and their team of skiers comprises some of the best in the world, ranging from freestyle phenoms to backcountry connoisseurs. In “Abstract,” director Etienne Mérel takes us from country to country and mountain to mountain as we try to discover the true motivation behind these skiers (or artists). With an insane lineup that includes Alex Hall, Antti Ollila, Vasu Sojitra, Mathilde Gremaud, Matêj Švancer and more, “Abstract” is a must-watch flick with skiing from the streets of Japan to the backcountry of Wyoming.
Skiing is not art, and skiers are not artists. Unless, of course, skiing is art and skiers are artists? Faction’s fourth feature film exhibits pure creativity through a series of freeski sequences—from the vibrant streets of Japan, to the powdery pillows of British Columbia, to the finely-manicured terrain parks of Switzerland and Italy. Each location provides a blank canvas for the team’s artistic expression. Because nothing screams “artist” like sending large cliffs and grinding the side of buildings.
Starring: Alex Hall, Koga Hoshino, Antti Ollila, Mac Forehand, Vasu Sojitra, Micah Evangelista, Sophia Rouches, Brooklyn Bell, Mathilde Gremaud, Sarah Hoefflin, Margaux Hackett, Giulia Tanno, Tim McChesney, Duncan Adams, Blake Wilson, Elias Syrjä, Kadi Gomis, Tormod Frostad, Matěj Švancer, Štěpán Hudeček, Gianni Biello, Dan Hanka, Dylan Deschamps
Directed and edited by Etienne Mérel
Produced by Hanne Davis and Tim Harty
A Production by Bluemax Media
Executive Producers: Alex Hoye, Galen Knowles, Florian Moser
Click HERE to Watch “Abstract” for Free
