If kayaking the length of the 2,500-km-long Aleutian Islands seems daunting, so is making a film about the expedition. But explorer Justine Curgenven has never let anything get in the way of what she sets out to do, and this is no different, with her rlease of ‘Kayaking the Aleutians’ due out Feb. 15…
In 2013, Curgenven and Sarah Outen paddled 2,500 km along the archipelago, battling winds, loneliness and long crossings. For Outen, it was part of her round-the-world human-powered expedition. For 101 days they braved currents, waves and bears, learning as much about themselves as their surroundings in the process.
“I’m excited to release it,” says Curgenven, a longtime paddler and filmmaker whose works include the award-winning This is the Sea series. “It was an incredible adventure.”
National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Jon Turk describes it as “the greatest, as yet undone, technical sea kayak expedition in the world,” bestowing equal accolades on the film. “The film is spectacular,” he adds. “Full of high adventure, a touching friendship, and some of the most magnificent scenery on earth.”
High marks also poured in from global adventurer Colin Angus. “It’s superb filming to go with a superb adventure,” he says. “They’re kayaking alone through one of the most challenging and dangerous environments in the world. It is incredible that not only did they make it, but that they were able to create a high quality documentary without a film crew following along.”
Curgenven is currently touring with the film to venues in America, Canada, Germany, Norway and the U.K. “ More are being added and I’m always interested to hear from people with proposals of extra showings,” she says.
Available February 14, 2015, the 155-minute DVD includes a 55-minute film festival version and a 70-minute Directors Cut. Other bonus material includes four extra films: Sea kayaking with whales and waves in the largest tidal range in the world at the Bay of Fundy; Strait Flush: a downwind stormy paddle in Wales; and two shorts of surfing at Tofino, off Vancouver Island, with The Hurricane Riders. Shot in HD, widescreen 16 x 9. $29.95 US;
CLICK HERE. A digital download is also available.
View trailer HERE
