This documentary follows the story of Australian aerial skiier Lydia Lassila.
It's pretty incredible. I went in not knowing what to expect and was surprised by just how emotionally engaged I was by the end. There were tears*!
At the beginning we learn about how Lydia and other young Aussies (including my old school friend, Liz Gardner!) even become involved in a sport as unique as aerial skiing and then the focus moved away from Lydia and onto the Australian aerial skiing scene. There was some really interesting insights here from Jacqui Cooper, Alisa Camplin, Kirstie Marshall and others.
I have followed the aerial skiing at the Winter Olympics a little over the years (mainly to cheer on Liz!) but it was a blessing that I forgot what had happened, as the thrills and (horrifying at times) spills of preparation for competition were quite gripping. I was totally engaged with Lydia's story and my God I was rooting for her to win!
It's fitting really to be writing this on International Women's Day, as Lydia is a remarkable role model for young women with obstacles to face on the way to achieving their dreams. For example, given Australia's climate, much of Lydia's training was done on a wooden ramp, landing into water. I mean, imagine asking an AFL player to do a large portion of their training on snow! OK so it's a terrible analogy, but you get my point.
What these women do with their bodies while flying through the air is incredible in any case, but without ideal facilities and sufficient funding, frankly it's a miracle they're still in one piece, let alone winning medals!
This film is definitely best seen on the big screen, so get along to see it while it's in cinemas! Go!
A four star review in the Fairfax press here. Trailer here. In cinemas from Thursday 10 March.
* I am a notoriously light touch, but still!