RE·SIL·IENCE
rəˈzilyəns | noun
1. the capacity to recover quickly from traumas, difficulties; toughness.
2. the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.
What is it that allows us to move forward after unimaginable horrors? Do we unknowingly possess a deeper capacity to heal beyond what we imagine? And what values and practices can we employ within our lives to augment our ability to respond to a traumatic experience – both in the moment and long term – allowing these harsh realities to become the catalyst for our own uprising?
Resilience [estimated runtime 20 min] is a documentary film that examines these concepts through the tragic loss of Dave Treadway, a professional skier who died in the mountains of BC in a backcountry accident in April 2019. He left behind not only an enduring legacy and a grieving family, but also a group of best friends who have carefully crafted a life that balances fatherhood with a life in the mountains and have now been left to struggle with the aftermath of a serious loss.
Two feet and a heartbeat. Nothing comes easy but that’s no problem for this group of hardworking friends. Photo: Brad Slack
Combining traditional documentary storytelling with high-impact cinematic ski and snowboard action sequences, Resilience will tell a story about how we evolve through trauma and what we can do to increase our capacity for resilience to weather—and grow from—life’s difficulties. The film will explore these concepts through multiple lenses – that of the action sports community as well as from the lens of scientific and spiritual perspectives. Through interviews and verité scenes with this unique group of friends who’ve travelled together through this traumatic experience of losing one of their own, along with epigeneticists, psychologists, and spiritual thought leaders, this story shares a meaningful lesson that will resonate with viewers from all walks of life, all while simultaneously captivating and enthralling all viewers with some of the most impressive big-mountain ski and snowboarding in the world.
Joe Lax seizing the moment in the Pemberton Backcountry. Photo: Brad Slack
Dave was one of a kind. He possessed the ability to simultaneously lead a life of unimaginable adventure while holding deeply-seated values of faith and family close to his heart; the same values that allow those affected by his loss to move through the trauma. While his loss continues to be grieved by those he impacted, there has also undoubtedly been a strength and fortitude that’s emerged in the wake of the world he left behind and this film will explore these concepts in a way that will no doubt resonate deeply.
The Cast
Joe Lax
Present on the day of the accident and part of the rescue attempt, Joe was one of Dave’s oldest friends and lives in Pemberton with his young family. In the summer he is a forest fire operations chief and in the winter is a ambassador for Arc’teryx and Jones Snowboards, spending his time exploring and snowboarding the dramatic terrain of his home range.
Chris Ankeny
Father, business owner and a surfy-smooth snowboarder, Chris was also present on the day of the accident. He strives to balance an innate need of spending time in the mountains with his responsibilities to his family, career, and friends
Daryl Treadway
Dave’s big brother, a former professional skier who reached the highest echelons of the sport before deciding to settle down to focus on his growing family and career as a high-school teacher.
Brad Slack
Another key member of the crew, Brad is a father, carpenter and action-sport photographer who not only rides alongside his friends but has become the defacto documentarian for their out-of-this-world exploits.
Delaney Zayac
Delaney’s laid-back personality belies his fierce attachment to skiing lines that would have most people running in the opposite direction. When he is not in the mountains he runs an organic farm in Pemberton with his wife and family.
DAVE BASTERRECHEA
A legend in the annals of snowboarding history, Dave B was at the forefront of big-mountain snowboarding throughout the 90s and 2000s, pushing the limit of what was previously thought possible. He now lives in Pemberton, BC with his wife and son and runs a snowmobile accessory company that helps riders all over the world get out into the mountains safely and efficiently.
Production Team
Brian Hockenstein – Director, Producer
Brian is a British Columbia, Canada based filmmaker who specializes in environmental and socially-conscious documentary filmmaking, combined with themes that resonate deeply with the outdoor community. Known for breathtaking cinematography and deeply meaningful storytelling, his most recent film The Radicals was widely celebrated by film festivals across North America and secured international distribution.
Brian was working with Dave Treadway on a film project on the day of his death.
Darren Roberts – Producer
Based in Squamish, British Columbia Canada, as CEO/Lead Producer at Racer Creative Inc, Darren is equal parts storyteller and businessman. With close to 20 years in the media business, Darren’s experience is wide ranging but always connected to the common theme of delivering stories that enthral the viewer.
David MacKinnon – Writer
A former Editor at Snowboard Canada and SBC Business Magazines and the co-founder of social/environmental advocacy group Beyond Boarding, Dave is known as an innovative multimedia content creator.
Also a forest fire fighter and avalanche rescue trainer, David was present on the day of Dave Treadway’s death and was an integral part of the rescue attempt and recovery.
Marketing Strategy
Audience
While the main story will center around themes related to adventure and risk taking in the mountains, the message of the film will be shaped in such a way that it is both relatable to and consumable by viewers of all walks of life. In this unique moment in time where we as a global community are going through one of the biggest collective traumatic events in history, this story is universal and something that is needed more than ever and we firmly believe this film will have something of interest to anyone who watches it. Additionally, the style in which we plan to shoot and edit the film – combining interviews and verite scenes with high-impact action sequences of big mountain skiing and snowboarding by some of the top athletes in the world – will doubly ensure that this film will impact all who come across it by illustrating how this unique group of friends choose to live life fully and gave those impacted by Dave’s death the strength and fortitude to carry on.
Chris and Delaney discuss their next line . Photo: Brad Slack
Distribution
To ensure that the film’s message is heard by as wide a range as possible we are planning a multi-pronged distribution strategy that will include film festivals, a screening tour (both streamed and in person), community and school outreach programs as well as traditional, digital and OTT distribution. We will leverage past experience – specifically with the incredibly successful distribution of The Radicals in 2018 – to help get this film out into the world and we anticipate it will not only be widely viewed and enjoyed, but with the themes and subjects of the film it will no doubt enjoy a high degree of “shareability”.