As I pulled up to the Rialto Theatre, I was surprised to see that the line circled around the block for the premiere of Chris Burkard’s new documentary Under an Arctic Sky. Burkard, a California native and accomplished commercial photographer is taking his film worldwide and the tour finally arrived in Montreal.
The $250,000 self-funded passion project filled the theatre with eager fans, ready to experience the film’s scenery. The non-fiction documentary is an inspiration for the explorer in all of us and truly embodies the notion of beauty borne from uncertainty and the importance of looking towards the unknown.
Chris Burkard meets fans at the Montreal premiere of Under an Arctic Sky. (Photo: Carol Chung)
Places Too Dangerous To Surf
Under an Arctic Sky explores the pristine yet harrowing landscapes of some very remote Icelandic fiords during extreme winter conditions. While surviving the largest snowstorm in Iceland’s recent history, a motley crew of nomadic pro surfers search out and jump feet first into freezing waters to tell the story of the world’s most un-surfed cold water waves.
Riding The Perfect Wave In Darkness
Three years of research and a 12-day journey culminated in this 40-minute film, laden with breathtaking vistas and a jaw-dropping finale—a stunning glimpse of what it’s like to ride the perfect wave in pitch darkness while the aurora borealis illuminates a wintery night sky above.
The film certainly achieves what it sets out to do, creating beauty from the unexplored and invoking a sense of wonder for what nature can show us if we could look beyond the beaten path.
Meet and Greet
Good storytellers don’t just tell you what you can see. Burkard, who directed the film was present in Montreal, kindly greeting fans and signing posters as fans entered the theatre.
Afterwards, Burkard treated the packed venue to exclusive behind-the-scenes images and anecdotes adding a level of depth to the stories that truly connected viewers to the experience –a value that we hope will be included in the DVD (and online editions) when it is released. The world through the lens of Chris Burkard is an inspiring one. See his amazing images on Instagram @chrisburkard.
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