The stunning scenery of the Austrian Alps acts as the perfect backdrop for Bernhard Braunstein’s absorbing doc about acclaimed ski boarding school Stams, where top young skiing talent chase their dreams. For these fresh-faced youngsters it is all about the possibility of making the Olympics, but their journey also includes strict exercise, academic lessons as well as battles with the dangerously icy slopes.
Stams is considered one of the most prestigious skiing high schools in the world and a top notch training ground for the very best young skiers. Unsurprisingly the film opens in the snow – “it is freezing,” seems quite an understatement from one of the young women skiers – before switching to the local church where the new cohort of students sit in pews, eyes closed.
“How much you’re willing to give is something no one can tell you,” says a priest. “That is your responsibility alone. It is your decision how to approach your goals.” It is the only time religion plays in the film – for the rest of the running time it is all about determination, dedication and skill as these youngsters aim to be the best of the best. “All people are equal in dignity, but not in talent,” the priest reminds.
They watch motivational films about successful skiers; take part in gruelling gym exercises; take a series of tests with the encouragement of staff, and attend old-fashioned classes about biology, physiology and Austrian politics. In their spare time these are normal teenagers, chatting about friends, joking around and chatting with family on their phones. But disappointment, injury and heartbreak are also part of their world, and the film mixes the highs with the lows as it tracks over the course of a year.
The camera is always on the young athletes, but director Bernhard Braunstein never seeks to try and focus on specific individuals, instead letting their day-to-day routines and pressures define their story. From refining meditation techniques through to running up a brutal hill while giving a fellow classmate a piggyback are all part of the learning curve at Stams.
Half way through the film the story switches to the slopes as they take part in competitions. A monotonous tannoy voice runs through the different competitors as the footage focusses on the skiers finishing their ski jumps, none overly happy with their distances. Others talk about their injuries and worries about what might happen if they miss momentum towards the end of the year.
As the film comes to a close it dwells on a new batch of applicants – seemingly even younger and apprehensive as they sit with parents and told what a high-risk sport it is and how they will need a will of iron. The film is very much about growing up with high hopes and facing great sacrifices, but also about the school’s modus operandi in finding new talent year after year. We may well never get to know them, but it is fascinating to see these young students striving to reach the highest of levels.
Austria, 2023, 97mins
Dir: Bernhard Braunstein
Production: PANAMA Films
International sales: Rise and Shine World Sales
Producers: Lixi Frank, David Bohun
Screenplay: Bernhard Braunstein, Lixi Frank
Cinematography: Serafin Spitzer
Editor: Roland Stöttinger
With: Sophia Waldauf, Martina Ambrosi, Eva-Maria Kofler, Pascal Mair, Kevin Kirchebner, Lea Lipburger
