Beyond Begbie
A short film that explores the history of the land and its shared significance to Indigenous groups and mountain sports enthusiasts.
Standing tall over the Revelstoke valley Mount Begbie has inspired an entire community. It is iconicized in the logos and names of local businesses, featured heavily in artists’ works, is photographed by every visiting tourist, and most importantly of all, is explored by the outdoor enthusiast - no matter the season.
Climbing Mt Begbie is a “right of passage” for every hiker, climber, sledder, and skier who chooses to make Revelstoke their home.
While this peak has created an entire contemporary culture in Revelstoke, its name and story only represent colonial history, with no reference to the Indigenous heritage of this land.
Is it the outdoor community’s responsibility to help change this?
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Zoya LynchDirectorKindred, Motherload
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Natalie SegalWriterFinding The Line, Shifting Ice & Changing Tides
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Zoya LynchWriterKindred, Motherload
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Hayley MorinWriterJoe Buffalo, The Crying Fields, Precious Leader Woman
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Natalie SegalProducerFinding The Line, Shifting Ice & Changing Tides
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Ariel HillKey Cast
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Tim PattersonKey Cast
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Dale TommaKey Cast
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Shelly BoydKey Cast
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Nahanni MckayKey Cast
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Colleen GentemannEditorsCoach, Dream Job, Influencer
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Paul Ryan CollinsEditors
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Hayley MorinConsultans
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Tim PattersonConsultans
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Jeff YellenSound Production
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Lou CurrieAnimation and Visual Effects
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Project Type:Documentary, Short
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Genres:Mountain culture, sport
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Runtime:15 minutes
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Completion Date:August 31, 2022
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Production Budget:58,000 USD
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Country of Origin:Canada
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Country of Filming:Canada
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
Zoya Lynch is a filmmaker and photographer based in beautiful Revelstoke BC, with respect and acknowledgement that it is the traditional unceded territory of the Sinixt, Sylix, Ktunaxa and Secwépemc Nations. She has earned recognition for her work working with commercial brands, major publications in the action sports industry and most recently directing and editing short documentary films. Her camera has led me on assignments to remote mountain ranges across several continents.
Working through a view-finder as a photographer and filmmaker has allowed Zoya to translate her deep reverence for the natural world through a tapestry of light-filled moments. She is constantly seeking to combine the wilderness and stories of human connection, achievement and wonder.
Zoya is a former member of the Canadian Ski Jumping Team and was an active lobbyist in the fight to include women’s ski jumping into the 2014 Olympic Games. Zoya continues to work collaboratively with women in the outdoors and she is dedicated to carving out a space within the industry to share their stories, perspectives and achievements.
Zoya's previous film works include Kindred and Motherload.
My aim in making this film is to create space for Indigenous voices in the outdoor industry and share an alternate history of the land and mountains spaces that has become so important to the outdoor community.
Revelstoke, like many mountain towns, is made up of and attracts a predominantly white, middle class population. The prevailing historical narratives of Revelstoke share a story of colonial pioneers winning over the land and building railways, resource hubs and most recently a blooming adventure tourism destination. For a long time it was believed that no Indigenous people lived on the land around Revelstoke. However, the history of the land paints a different picture.
Since time immemorial, the Sn̓ʕay̓čkstx (Sinixt) lived on the Columbia River and its tributaries, their territory spanning from north-eastern Washington all the way to Revelstoke. This land, later to become Revelstoke, has also been claimed as traditional land used by the Syilx, Ktunaxa and Secwe̓pemc First Nations.
Due to the treatment of the First Nations in this region by settlers over the last 150 years, including the extinction of the Sinixt Nation by the Canadian Federal Government in 1956, large numbers of their populations, culture and heritage were displaced or lost. Mountains and rivers, including Mount Begbie, were named after white men who had little to no regard for the preceding history of the area at the expense of Indigenous heritage. This naming culture has transcended into mountain sports, which revolve around bagging peaks and mountain accomplishments, a tradition started by western explorers.
Through the film, we will introduce five Indigenous characters who will share their perspective on what Mount Begbie and the land means to them. Beginning at the summit, the story will descend down the mountain to the Columbia River exploring the roots of this icon and the important interdependent connections between the mountains, valleys, rivers and us, the stewards of the land.
We will interview Indigenous residents, representatives from First Nations, activists and keen recreators who will paint a picture of an alternative history of the landscape and offer a new way of interacting with it, reframing our relationship with the land as settlers.
As a member of both the Revelstoke and outdoor community who supports Truth and Reconciliation I believe it is our responsibility to seek out, listen, learn and support Indigenous perspectives.
The positive outcome of this project will rely on the collaboration between filmmakers and film subjects and as a result my first priority is to ensure protocols of respect, reciprocity, consent and responsibility are always maintained. I am working with Indigenous consultants and creatives to shape the story and aesthetic of the film.