2023-11-23 18:25:27
The room is full. The front rows were stormed by the most regulars this Thursday, November 17. Sitting in the soft beige leather of the Grand Rex armchairs, bucket of popcorn on your knees, the show can begin. Every year, the capital’s snow sports enthusiasts fill the largest cinema in Europe to be amazed.
The most beautiful snow-capped peaks in the world, filmed with a 360-degree drone, tubes of turquoise water breaking over the heavenly beaches of Polynesia and above all the exploits that the athletes achieve in the fabulous playground offered by mother nature…
And like every year since 1979 – date of the first Nuit de la sliding – Thierry Donard is on stage to give the traditional mass. Except that this year, the speech is neither white, nor blue and even less pink. “We are the privileged witnesses of climate change,” he says. When you finish a film in June, you ask yourself questions. When after each mountain outing there is 300 km of wind you ask yourself questions. »
Conditions that complicate the practice of outdoor sports. Over two months of filming in the Alps, there were around twenty false starts, around twenty days where the mountain did not offer adequate conditions for going out, kindly sending skiers and cameramen home, equipment under their arms.
Among the public, this side-taking pleases. “I’m afraid of redundancy every year,” confides Sophie at the end of her third night of skiing, while queuing to have a poster signed. But he (the director) was able to bring something new, particularly with the nature protection aspect. »
“Every time it’s a real success, I like their approach to the elements and nature, global warming and all that…”, says Jennifer, another regular at the meeting.
“I don’t just talk about riding but also about death”
Once the environmental issue has been addressed – in two minutes tops – Thierry Donard takes a closer look at “the cool part”, returning to what he does best: offering dreams by proxy to the 2,800 Parisians sitting comfortably in their chair.
At regular intervals, when the exploits are too beautiful to just watch, applause floods the pit and the two balconies. We think of this moment when the Australian Kerby Brown comes out of the water with his head bleeding after having surfed the unsurfable, an overpowering wave breaking on an immense slab of granite in 40 cm of water in the Mid West of Western Australia.
We also think of these two young cycling prodigies, the Canadians Ryan McIntosh and Christopher Beaton, who at night, by the light of their headlamp, embark on a shameless chase, slaloming between the fir trees of British Columbia.
Another notable moment, the violent crash of Chamonix skier Mathieu Moullier who, caught in an avalanche, claims on screen to have seen himself die at just 20 years old. “I wasn’t sure I would make a good film by showing accidents, but I wanted to tell the truth,” explains Thierry Donard. I don’t just talk about the ride but also the death. We took a deeper approach by openly asking them the question of the risk of dying. » Everyone pushing their limits in their own way, the images can only support the director’s key 2023 phrase “extreme sports are becoming more and more extreme”.
Three duos and a trio on screen
The quality of the shots and the skills of the athletes nevertheless and undeniably make the moment magical. On stage, hats and caps on their heads, the riders play the game as always, showing presence. And this year, if we first note that there are only men, we then notice the juvenility of their features and the mixture of inexperience and shyness which emerges from the turn of the microphone.
Of the nine athletes – a reduced cast compared to other years – five are under 25 years old. “I find it great to highlight young people more than champions,” underlines Nicolas, thirty-year-old, seduced by the choice of director.
“I wanted to talk about non-professionals, people who do not receive monstrous salaries but who are trained like high-level athletes, physically they are exceptional boys,” he explains. “Human
“It’s the first film where we are both in the image,” says the 32-year-old athlete. “We met in high school, he was the one who introduced me to speed. At first I filmed it and then we ride together, it’s even more emotional.” Shared emotion since on screen this year we see three duos and a trio. A great way to tell the story of performance among several people, in sports – skiing surfing cycling speed riding – which were originally rather individual.
For several years now, the Night of Sliding has also been an opportunity for other directors to make themselves known. Before the screening of the film, making the public’s mouth water even more at the dawn of a ski season which still promises to be uncertain given the conditions, a few short films were broadcast highlighting honor the stories of enthusiasts.
One of them, “Overhang” on climbing, was produced by Lucas Costes, 20 years old, and Mathéo Bourgeois 21 years old. “I work with young directors and I must admit that the next generation is not far away! It won’t last for many more years! », confides the 62-year-old director who, despite a hint of weariness felt last winter, is having difficulty passing the torch. The new generation is already here. And, although just as passionate and talented, she will have to redouble her imagination to film landscapes that will soon no longer exist.
#Promoting #young #people #environment #Night #Sliding #reinvented