A Mountain to Climb Press Notes Music Matthew and Neil de Luca Executive Producers Craig Lazarus Rob...
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A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB PRESS NOTES Documentary Short: A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB Running Time: 25 mins. CREDITS Director Kristen Lappas Screenwriter Tom Rinaldi Producers Victor Vitarelli Jose Morales Cinematographers Thom McCallum Vin Guglielmina Editors Matt McCormick Thom McCallum Original Music Matthew and Neil de Luca Executive Producers Craig Lazarus Rob King Libby Geist Connor Schell
Transcript of A Mountain to Climb Press Notes Music Matthew and Neil de Luca Executive Producers Craig Lazarus Rob...
AMOUNTAINTOCLIMBPRESSNOTES
DocumentaryShort: AMOUNTAINTOCLIMBRunningTime: 25mins.CREDITSDirector KristenLappasScreenwriter TomRinaldiProducers VictorVitarelli JoseMorales Cinematographers ThomMcCallum VinGuglielminaEditors MattMcCormick ThomMcCallumOriginalMusic MatthewandNeildeLucaExecutiveProducers CraigLazarus RobKing LibbyGeist ConnorSchell
SYNOPSIS(SHORT)Kathmandu,Nepal,acityofnearly1.5millionpeople,hasjusttwogolfcourseswithinitsborders.Inamaintenanceshedbehindthethirdgreenofoneofthosecourses,ayounggirlwasraisedwithasingulardream.ThisisthestoryofPratimaSherpa,andherquesttodosomethingnowomaninthehistoryofhercountryhaseverdone.
SYNOPSIS(FULL)100milesfromMountEverestliesthecityofKathmandu,thecapitalofNepal.Roughlyonethirdofits1.3millionresidentslivebelowthepovertylevel.Itisthemostunlikelyplacetocomeacrossagolfcourse,andagolfstory,andyetononeofthecity’sringroads,encasedinbarbedwirefence,istheRoyalNepalGolfClub.Justbehindthe3rdgreen,thereisacinderblockmaintenanceshed,nearlyhiddenbythetreesaroundit.Itisusedtostorethetoolsandmachinesthatmaintainandpreservetheclub’sgrounds.Insidetheshediswherethestoryofonegirl’sdreambegins. AMountaintoClimbchroniclesthejourneyofPratimaSherpa,a17-year-oldgolferwhowasraisedinthatshed,andfollowsherattempttobecomeNepal’sfirstfemaleprofessionalgolfer. Pratimagrewuponthecourse,surroundedbythegame.Herfather,Pasang,wasemployedasamaintenanceworkerandsecurityguard,whilehermother,Kalpana,wasalaborer,tendingthecoursegreensbyhand.Together,theyearnroughlyfivedollarsadayfortheirwork. Asayounggirl,thecoursebecamePratima’splayground.Herfirstclubwasawoodenstickherfatherwhittledforherfromatreebranch.Sheimprovised,tryingtokeephergolfballsawayfromthemonkeyswhoroamedthecourse.ForafemalelivinginpovertytobeplayinggolfwasnearlyradicalinNepaliculture;itwasagameforthewealthy,andasportformen.Pratima’sfathertoldhertostopplayingandtostudy.Shelistened,butshedidn’tstop.Whenshewas11yearsoldsheenteredherfirsttournament.Playingagainst30competitors,shewon.
OverthepastfiveyearsPratimahasdonetheunthinkable,transformingherselfintothebestfemalegolferinNepal.Her33tournamentwinswereaccomplishedwithadonatedandmixedbagofclubs.Herdreamsarebig;shewantstobethefirstfemaleprofessionalgolferinthehistoryofNepal.Justasimportantly,shewantstochangethecourseofherfamily’slife,tohelpthemleavetheshed.
Todoso,PratimabegantopreparefortheNepalProfessionalQualifyingTournament,whereprospectsattempttoearntheirstatusasplayingpros.Thereisnotournamentinthecountryforwomen.Pratimaplayedinthemen’stournament,needingtobeoneofthetopfivefinishers,toearnherpro-card.
Itwouldbethetournamentandopportunityofheryounglife…toproveshebelongedinaculturewithastrictcastesystem,wherepoorwomenhavebeenbarredfromthemostbasicwaystoadvance.DirectorKristenLappas,screenwriterTomRinaldi,andcinematographersThomMcCallumandVinGuglielminaspent20daysinbothNepalandtheUnitedStates,filmingwithPratimainherattempttomakehistory.“IwasdrawntoPratima’storybecauseitencapsulatessomanybiggerthemesrelevantintoday’ssociety,whenitcomestofemaleempowermentandawoman’splaceintheworld.ThecouragePratimahasdemonstratedherentirelife,breakingtraditionalgenderrolesinhercountry,isincrediblyinspiring.HerstoryisasrelevantinNewYorkCity,asitisinKathmandu.Womenallacrosstheworldwillbedrivenbythisgirl’sjourney.” --KristenLappas,director ThefilmwassupportedbyESPN’sSCFeaturedstorytellingseries,andisaproductionoftheESPNFeaturesUnit.
DIRECTORBIOKristenLappasisafour-timeEmmyAwardwinningproducerasapartofESPN’sCollegeGameDay.Herfirstshortfilm,GiftfromtheGroves,wasnominatedforanEmmyin2017intheOutstandingShortSportsDocumentarycategory.Hertelevisionfeature,Arthur,wasalsonominatedforanEmmyintheOutstandingCameraworkCategory.ArthuriscurrentlybeingadaptedintoascreenplaybytheParamountPlayersdivisionofParamountPictures.Kristenwasnameda“RisingStarUnder30”byCynopsisMediain2015.
FULLPRODUCTIONCREDITSDirector KristenLappasScreenwriter TomRinaldiProducers VictorVitarelli JoseMoralesExecutiveProducers CraigLazarus RobKing LibbyGeist ConnorSchellCinematographers ThomMcCallum VinGuglielminaEditor MattMcCormick ThomMcCallumOriginalMusic MatthewandNeildeLucaAdditionalCamera MathewFurata AndyDidway LabeshShrestha SurajRatnaShakya RubinPradhanSoundRecordist StevenAllmendinger BrianLahaire PritamBahadurShakya MinBistaSoundMixing JohnIaquintaAssociateProducer OliverHorovitz
Translators AshmankMarki AsthaThapaPostProductionServices BluefootEntertainmentPhotographer VladamirWeinsteinOn-SiteCoordinator RamKrishnaPokharelSpecialThanks RoyalNepalGolfClub IcefallProductionsJazzProductionsQatarAirlinesGokarnaGolfClubMilesGlickmanMusicbedAPMmusicTanya,Sophia,andMichaelMontano
