From Banff to Bahamas
It’s a perfectly clear day where I am, 30,000 feet off the ground flying across daunting snow-capped mountains. I’m on my way to the Banff Film Festival in Canada where AMS Pictures’ latest documentary, I Am Alive: Surviving the Andes Plane Crash, is screening.
The film is a dramatic two-hour special that recounts one of the greatest human survival stories of all time, told through the eyes of Nando Parrado. It’s an honor to bring his story to the forefront of this festival, the leading showcase of mountaineering and adventure-based films. And we just got news that the film is a finalist for the best feature award!
So, as I’m digesting this wonderful news, I received an e-mail from one of my DPs, Taylor Witt. He’s currently vacationing in the Bahamas for the week and noticed dozens of people with copies of Nando’s autobiography, Miracle in the Andes.
“I followed where these books were coming from and, much to my pleasure, there sat Nando himself in his blue blazer,” said Taylor. “You wouldn’t believe the line of people waiting to get their book signed! It just goes to show you how much his story really does touch people. He wanted me to pass on a hello to everyone at home.”
What are the odds of that happening? Our film about Nando’s experience is being hailed as an award finalist in Canada while readers in the Bahamas are meeting the man himself! It’s a small world with some amazing stories, and I’m proud to be a part of telling them.