PORTLAND, Maine — The first rule in covering a sporting event is straightforward: Follow the action.
For Zach Carver, the director of a documentary called “The Race to Alaska” about a competition of the same name, it was challenging just to find the action. The race covers 750 miles across open water from Port Townsend, Washington, to Ketchikan, Alaska, and the boats can be widely spread out because they have no motors, no support. “It’s like the Iditarod, on a boat,” the saying goes.
Even when Carver knew where the racers were, there were no guarantees that he’d be able to shoot usable footage. Wind and waves and squalls are not a videographer’s friends.
Putting the movie together once it was shot was a monumental project. When it came time to start editing, there were 70,000 video clips to go through. Give Carver credit for turning that footage into a visually compelling and emotionally involving story of people who test themselves against the extremes of nature.
What was it like to shoot the movie? And who are the colorful, thrill-seeking, maybe-just-a-bit-crazy racers who compete in an event like this? Watch our interview with Carver to learn more.
If you’d like to see “The Race to Alaska” in a theater, here are some screenings coming up in Maine and New Hampshire:
The Lakeside Theater, Rangeley, ME screening on 5/20 & 22
Magic Lantern, Bridgton, ME screening on 5/27 - 5/29
Waldo Theater, Waldoboro, ME screening on 7/6
Colonial Theater, Belfast, ME - TBD
The Music Hall, Portsmouth, NH screening on 5/28
Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hanover, NH screening on 7/22