In 1968, Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins traveled to Patagonia (Argentina) to mark the third ascent to Mount Fitzroy, considered one of the most technically challenging mountains in the world-they made a movie about their trek and later became well-known environmentalists. In 2009, Jeff Johnson made the same journey...and 180° South: Conquerors of the Useless is a documentary about his trek.
The documentary weaves together interviews, pictures, and film footage of Chouinard and Tompkins, the first Americans to make the climb, but is focused on Johnson's journey. Johnson's background as a young surfer and climber translates into a keen eye for beautiful imagery, thoughtful commentary, and a courageous effort at a very challenging endeavor.
With images of sailing, surfing, and climbing-including breaking waves, exotic fish and animals, and striking landscapes, anyone with a remote interest in adventure sports and travel will find the movie inspiring. It's also (what I would call) a "thinking man's adventure story" as some of the experiences cause Johnson to analyze society and its impact on the environment.
An excellent soundtrack (mostly featuring Ugly Casanova) completes the backdrop of Johnson's transformative and thought-provoking story: "I left home six months ago to follow in the footsteps of my heroes-a bit of surfing, some climbing, lots of unspoiled terrain...pretty simple, really. Well, I got all that. But along the way, I've also realized the connections I never thought much about. In these four corners of the world I've seen encroaching progress and most of this has to do with overconsumption elsewhere."
Watch 180° South to explore Patagonia, explore sailing, surfing, and climbing...and explore your thoughts on the environment and the way it's rapidly changing under today's pressures.
The documentary weaves together interviews, pictures, and film footage of Chouinard and Tompkins, the first Americans to make the climb, but is focused on Johnson's journey. Johnson's background as a young surfer and climber translates into a keen eye for beautiful imagery, thoughtful commentary, and a courageous effort at a very challenging endeavor.
With images of sailing, surfing, and climbing-including breaking waves, exotic fish and animals, and striking landscapes, anyone with a remote interest in adventure sports and travel will find the movie inspiring. It's also (what I would call) a "thinking man's adventure story" as some of the experiences cause Johnson to analyze society and its impact on the environment.
An excellent soundtrack (mostly featuring Ugly Casanova) completes the backdrop of Johnson's transformative and thought-provoking story: "I left home six months ago to follow in the footsteps of my heroes-a bit of surfing, some climbing, lots of unspoiled terrain...pretty simple, really. Well, I got all that. But along the way, I've also realized the connections I never thought much about. In these four corners of the world I've seen encroaching progress and most of this has to do with overconsumption elsewhere."
Watch 180° South to explore Patagonia, explore sailing, surfing, and climbing...and explore your thoughts on the environment and the way it's rapidly changing under today's pressures.