TE ARA the path

Our goal was to make an original, cinematic and gripping adventure documentary that would inspire audiences and stand out from the norm. We brought the film’s focus to relationship and gave it an artistic visual treatment, with multiple thematic layers to give depth, including trust, identity, belonging, overcoming trauma and the power of self-belief. Although this film is empowering for women, it’s not a ‘chick flick’ and is instead intended to appeal to audiences of all ages and genders with its relatable themes and gritty action - echoing Lydia’s values that ‘mountaineering is for everyone’. However, it inevitably stands out against the male-saturated industry of mountaineering films. Holly and Lydia have such rich characters in real life, I wanted to make space for this in the film by balancing their playful humour with the heavier discussions around addiction, suicide and betrayal – which took some careful crafting in the edit. This is further echoed in the sound design, using electronic music to represented Lydia’s ‘forever young’ persona, being careful that it could also carry the emotional threads, as well as tension during moments of real mountain danger.

The third character in the film is the mountain. She speaks through the sound of rumbling wind and long-held static wides. It is clear the mountain is symbolic of Holly’s recovery from addiction - the challenge of putting one foot in front of the other to get to the top. However, the mountain also represents Holly’s ancestors – which reflects the traditional beliefs of Māori people. On her journey of rediscovering who she is after addiction, Holly’s ancestors guide her back to her Māori identity – this spiritual calling is heard through the sounds of the traditional conch shell and indigenous toning (recorded by our Māori composer). This is particularly poignant in the context of New Zealand, where Māori voices have been repressed for generations after colonization and there is now a strong call for reclamation. So this is a vital, timely and vulnerable story that helps drive this movement in the right direction.

As a novice climber but experienced documentary filmmaker, I was being trained in mountaineering behind the camera while also directing the film – a lot to juggle on the deadly glacial slopes! Meanwhile, our incredible mountaineering DOP was hanging off cliffs and wedged between crevasse walls to get the perfect shot. Our safety depended on the expertise of our world-class mountain guides and the focus and determination of each member of the crew to keep going and keep safe; in these ‘consequential environments’, put a foot wrong and you pay with your life. We were also at the mercy of the weather, as climbing in the perfect weather window is vital for safety – we were very fortunate to make it up Tititea Mt Aspiring. The making of the film was as equally terrifying as it was phenomenal. An experience we are all privileged to have been part of and one I’m sure none of us will forget.

This was originally commissioned by NZ On Air and Tupiki Trust as a 4x10min web series for Stuff's online platform, where it is available online now. This was a special film for everyone involved. The entire crew went above and beyond the normal call of duty because we all believed in the story and the message that Holly and Lydia had to share with the world – so much so that it surpassed our expectations of its limited budget and we recut it into a feature documentary for festival release.

We so often see films of people who have already ‘made it’, but here we see a film of Holly at the beginning of her personal transformation and Lydia nearing the end, stepping forth on their stunning intergenerational voyage. Now they are setting their sights on Everest in 2025 – Lydia’s swansong and Holly’s goal of becoming the first Māori woman to summit. Our hope is that ‘Te Ara – The Path’ inspires viewers around the world with its many messages, like ‘he ara anō’ (there is another way) and the power of big nature to help us heal.