After an ice climbing avalanche takes the life of her friend, professional climber and guide, Sarah Hueniken finds herself questioning everything about her life in the mountains.
This film was part of VIMFF 2022, VIMFF 2022 Tour and is no longer available for viewing.
By examining the emotional fall-out for mountain guides when tragedy strikes on their watch, Not Alone brings the issue of risk and responsibility into sharp focus, and offers important lessons about recovering from loss and trauma. The film follows the intense personal journey of an elite guide whose world fell apart after a close friend perished in an avalanche. With raw honesty, it shows her struggles with grief, guilt and shame, the crucial help she received from mental health professionals and peers, and how she found a way to redefine her relationship with the mountains.
The Best of BC Award goes to Not Alone, directed by Heather Mosher.
— Maria Coffey
Heather is an adventure filmmaker based in Squamish, BC who loves climbing finger cracks and taking her skis out snow camping. As a producer, director, editor, and cinematographer, Heather weaves the stories of real people, places, and events into compelling and truthful narratives. Her work focuses on the intersection of outdoor and adventure stories with broader social and environmental themes. She has produced and sold films for national and international broadcast and distribution, including CBC, TELUS, and Red Bull TV; her films have premiered at festivals around the world; and she has screened her films on every continent – yes, even Antarctica! Heather aims to fuse her unique brand of creativity, a thoughtful connection to her subjects and a deep respect for the natural world into stories that inspire empathy and hopefully spark positive change in the world.