Documentary Film with Jennifer Peedom

CAMP is a residential arts facility in the French Pyrenees. It's a place where great art is made, new movements are formed, new ideas are explored and groundbreaking people are nurtured. CAMP is located in Aulus les Bains, the last village before the France/Spain Pyrenean frontier chain. The location is spectacular - we are nestled at 750m above sea level, surrounded by snowcapped peaks over 3000m high, ancient forests and cascading waterfalls. There are eagles, lammergeiers, vultures, ibex and bears. Walk out of the residency, and within ten minutes you are completely alone in one of the most beautiful mountain landscapes in Europe. Aulus les Bains is also a spa village - there are hot water springs, and a thermal spa in the village to take advantage of the healing and relaxing properties of the water.
    
Workshop dates: 07/04/2021 - 11/04/2021
    
Mountain filmmaking has exploded in the last decade - not just in popularity, but also in style, focus and scope. The well-told story of human vs. nature on the hostile mountain, with human returning enlightened, has been replaced by more nuanced conversations about human interaction with mountains; documentaries on environmental issues, social and humanitarian causes, poetic studies of landscape and more.

This workshop will combine the epic backdrop of the Haute Pyrenees mountains with the expertise of one of the most acclaimed directors of mountain documentary film working today, Jennifer Peedom. We will work through every aspect of documentary filmmaking, from story to sound to camera, towards the production of a short piece of documentary footage. Working out in the epic landscape as well as here at our excellent facilities, we will explore the mountains, delve into the histories and lore of the region and its people, and absorb the stories and visual beauty of this extraordinary place.

Over five full days, we will cover:

• The importance of story structure - character, conflict, stakes. Using diverse examples from Jan's cinematic output, we will work through a wide variety of  different styles of storytelling
• The Art of Interview - we will explore the technical side of interview, before going out into the field and gathering spoken histories. For those not interested in interview, we will explore incorporation of poetry or other spoken text into documentary work.
• Shooting the film - starting with basic technical discussion and description of techniques, we will progress to exploring and shooting the location.
• Sound & music - we will explore the basics of sound and music, and how they enhance drama and image. This will include practical field recording sessions out in the landscape.
• Editing - we will be joined by Christian Gazal, who edited Sherpa and Mountain, for a day of focused tuition on putting it all together.

Jennifer Peedom is a BAFTA nominated Australian filmmaker, known for her intimate and compassionate portraits documenting stories from the epic to the everyday, often in extreme situations. An experienced climber, Jen has worked as a high altitude director on several expeditions including Discovery Channel's six-part series "Everest - Beyond the Limit", and her credits include the internationally renowned documentaries "Miracle on Everest" and "Solo", the story of Andrew McAuley's attempted solo kayak crossing from Tasmania to New Zealand.

Jen has developed a strong friendship with Sherpa people over almost two decades of working in the Himalayas - connections which were key in the production of her 2015 film "Sherpa". Centred around Phurba Tashi, a Sherpa who has made 21 Everest ascents, the film explores Sherpa culture and their spiritual relationship with the mountain, as well as the heavy work and risks Sherpas take in making multiple ascents to take equipment and supplies up the mountain and make the climb possible for foreign climbers (the film tragically witnesses the 2014 Everest avalanche). "Sherpa" won the 2015 Grierson Award for Best Documentary at the BFI London Film Festival, premiered internationally at the Telluride Film Festival, screened at Toronto Film Festival and received a BAFTA nomination in 2016 for Best Documentary.

In 2017 Jen directed "Mountain", a collaboration the Australian Chamber Orchestra with script by Robert Macfarlane, narrated by Willem Dafoe. "Mountain" explores high peaks around the world, revealing the relationship between humans and mountains across time. It screened theatrically in 27 countries and went on to become the highest grossing (non-IMAX) Australian documentary of all time, also winning 3 AACTA (Australian Academy Awards) in 2018.