After a tragic accident that killed her partner, professional snowboarder Jess Kimura spiralled into a cycle of self destruction, grief and despair. She struggled with depression, fear of water and was forced to find a new way to express herself – surfing.
Watch her story in Learning to Drown, the new film from The North Face.
In 2014, professional snowboarder Jess Kimura was at the top of her game when tragedy struck. Her soulmate, Mark Dickson, was killed in a car accident, and she spiralled into a cycle of self-destruction, grief, and despair. It was only when she met Mark's mother that she started to find her way out of the abyss.
Director Ben Knight takes the viewer on a journey that combines finely crafted snowboarding and surfing to tell the story of a loose cannon, go-for-broke spirit who found a new form of self-expression. Along the way, she finds a new sense of purpose and conquers her irrational fear of water in the process. Watch as Kimura learns to ride the wave of loss, depression, and adrenaline to conquer her fear of water and become a new kind of athlete. How to watch learning to drown is a must-see film for all action sports lovers and anyone who has ever lost a loved one. Catch it at the 2021 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival as part of their Radical Reels program and World Tour!
Throughout the short stories of Junot Diaz’s book Drown we see a wide range of people struggling to achieve their goals while being crippled by circumstances. Some of the characters in these stories are very poor, and many of them turn to violence, drugs, or crime in order to survive. This creates a cyclical pattern in the story as they go through different hardships to try to get what they want.
Another theme that is incredibly eye opening is that of poverty. The characters are ostracized for their lack of wealth and they turn to violence and drugs to gain what they need in order to survive. This theme is important because it highlights the harsh realities of life in urban areas where poverty is a constant. It also reveals how difficult it is to grow up in these situations. I think that the way Junot Diaz has written these short stories reflects his own life and experiences growing up. These stories are very sad, but they also teach us to be more aware of our surroundings and take responsibility for our actions. Overall, I recommend this book to everyone. It is very well written and the short stories are interesting to read.
In learning to drown, we shift between the modern day NYC of Emma (Emma Noonan) and her memories as well as the Irish love story that has forever shaped her family. We also get to see Lori (Lori Culver), a self-taught, world-traveled freelance photographer who places a high priority on her career and has a very complex past. She has a hard time dealing with her mother abandoning her when she was a child and seems to be haunted by that event. I found her a very interesting character and would be interested to watch more of her in the future.
Drown is an extremely well written story that has a lot of great connections to other readings we have discussed in class. It also allows for a good amount of discussion on issues such as violence, fatherhood, and family in general.
A rousing musical about love and loss, Learning to Drown is a tale of four actors who play the parts of modern day NYC, Emma’s past, and an Irish mythological love story. The story is a multi-generational tale of love and sacrifice, and the movie showcases one woman’s attempt to break out of her shell. She demonstrates the power of self-discipline and go-for-broke mentality. It’s a must-watch for anyone looking to defy convention and see what happens when you go after what you want without thinking about the consequences. It’s also a must-watch for those who are looking for a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously.