Snow Business Stills 5

© Navigator Film

Snow Business Stills 6

© Navigator Film

Snow Business Stills 4

© Navigator Film

Snow Business Stills 7

© Navigator Film

Snow Business Stills 3

© Navigator Film

Snow Business Stills 2

© Navigator Film

Snow Business Stills 1

© Navigator Film

Director
Pascal Carcanade und Laurent Cibien
Country
  • AT
  • FR
Year
2014
Length
52
Shooting Format
  • HD-Cam
Aspect Ratio
  • 1:1,78 (16:9)
Sound
  • Stereo

Snow Business

Sochi, February 2014: for the first time in their history, the Winter Olympics are taking place in a country that does not have a tradition of downhill skiing. This is startling evidence of the worldwide growth of the mountain sports industry. Although still in its early stages, it is developing into a globalised business. However, globalisation is necessary as in the Western Alps, the birthplace of skiing, growth is falling and the number of skiers has been stagnating for several years.

The directors, two French middle class post-war baby boomers, city residents who love skiing, take a journey behind the scenes of the global skiing industry. Without nostalgia but with plenty of humour, they try to find out what has changed since they first took to the slopes. They explore the model of development now in use everywhere that slopes exist, and even where they do not, a model that is even trying to free itself from its original requirement: natural snowfall. Their quest leads them to France, Austria, Italy and also to the Russian Caucasus, China, South Africa, … and even Belgium.

They meet visionary “snow business” entrepreneurs for whom, “our aim is to get as many people skiing as possible, all over the world.” Resort managers who demonstrate how “we throw money through the windows, but from the outside”. Marketing gurus, who tell them “we can do anything with modern techniques, even build a glacier!”  Alpine set designers, who explain how to “highlight the natural” by “using virtualization, images and sound”.

Forging ahead with endless building programmes, continually developing new technology to counter the effects of climate change, transforming the mountains into theme parks for the rich... Viewed objectively, isn’t this simply a representation of the modern world, predatory capitalism trying to transform natural spaces into sources of profit? It might make you feel like putting away your skis for good, unless you’re willing to do what it takes to keep skiing going.

Assistant Director
Marie Semelin