New to VOD this week:
A NEW HIGH
Directors:
Samuel Miron and Stephen Scott Scarpulla
Premiere:
Los Angeles 2015
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Seattle, Salem, Twin Cities, Illuminate
About:
A group of Seattle addicts attempt to climb Mt Rainier to conquer their demons.
Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission provides counseling and shelter for men and women in need, including individuals struggling with addiction. One of its recovery programs, led by Mike Johnson, a former Army Ranger, trains participants in mountain climbing over a year, with a select few qualifying for the biggest challenge: attempting the summit Mt Rainier. Miron and Scarpulla follow Mike and several of his charges as they challenge themselves, working under the simple idea that developing the strength to take on a mountain also gives them the tools to face their addiction head on and stay clean and sober. Not all of them make it through the program, whether because of relapse or physical limitations, but they find themselves changed by the experience, as captured with candor and immediacy in this engaging chronicle.
what (not) to doc 