With Daniel Woods recent video for Return of the Sleepwalker reminded me of the original feature film for V17, Blue Kangaroo’s video for Nalle Hukkativials Burden of Dreams, The Lappnor Project
How hard is this thing? Well, in Nalle’s first season on it (not session, season) he did each of the moves. By the second season he’d linked from the start to, the middle. By the third, a link from the middle to the end (but didn’t actually repeat the previous season’s link at all). Here I am salty I didn’t send my proj on my third trip, watchingin awe as he punches through 40, 60, 80 sessions, and then more after that. To be fair, he’d never spent more that 13 days on any prior project, so its clear this think is special.
With only 5-6 moves, to achieve this previously unheard-of grade, they’re frigging hard. You gotta be fit. Not only that, at the absolute limit, you need some luck. The statistical metaphors of hands of cards and rolling dice permeate the film, serving as the cruel reminder between each season when the odds weren’t in his favor. Temps, humidity, skin, wind, all play a factor. You can make a massive link and never get another dry day that year. The price you pay with odds that slim is investing years waiting for the dice to come up Yahtzee.
The film itself is nearly the opposite of mellow’s recent release. The music is ethereal, quiet, understated. The post production is to excess, with tons of glamor shots of dice and cards in darklit sets. This film skews much further on the documentary side of things, with plenty of voice over, compared to the “skate-style” video of Daniel’s ascent. Anyone who has read more than 2 reviews on this site knows I love me a blasting punk-rock climbing-porn flick, and will fully expect me to pooh-pooh Blue Kangaroo’s efforts here.
But I can’t. I find Nalle all too compelling, his work ethic and humble nature reminding me of Finnish friends from college. While there are occasional wobblers during the bad sessions, the good sessions with partial links are filled with smiles and the nervous giggles of tentative optimism. I can relate to the moment he chooses to finally speak the words aloud, “I think this might go”. It’s a clear act of vulnerability. Its human.
Verdict: Buy it. I know, it’s $9 for 30 minutes of footy, only 30 seconds worth you really care about. That footage is from a single camera angle with a gentle pan, because like many important life events, this one happened alone. But, if you’ve ever had a big project, this will lend some perspective, and help you keep the faith.
Bonus Feature for Y’all – Blue Kangaroo also released “The Night Of” for free. As someone who finally sent a multi-year project, I can relate to the perplexing feeling. Once its over, you realize how brief it was, and it can leave an emptiness in its wake.