VIFF review: Super Frenchie takes viewers into the mind of a madman/genius ski BASE jumper

Matthias Giraud finds personal fulfillment by combining two extreme sports

Streams September 24 to October 7 as part of the Vancouver International Film Festival, via VIFF.org.

THE OPENING SCENE of Super Frenchie is stunning, exhilarating, and terrifying: with a GoPro attached to his helmet, Matthias Giraud takes a few deep breaths then skis right off the edge of an enormous cliff. Then, he flies. He pulls a parachute, another camera capturing him at the top of the world, floating to the powdery valley floor beneath.

Giraud holds the world record for the highest ski BASE jump, the first off Mont Blanc, at 4,810 feet. The fact that he accomplished this feat is even more remarkable considering that six years earlier he nearly died after being slammed into the side of a mountain, the impact breaking his femur and leaving him to drift for 4,000 feet, unconscious, to the ground. He was in a coma for three days.

Director Chase Ogden’s doc is not merely an adventure thriller; it’s an intimate look at the mindset of a man who has spent his entire life jumping off things. Giraud is neither fearless nor reckless. A husband, father, and meticulous planner, he’s also a philosopher of sorts. With beautiful original music by composers Jonathan Haidle and Brad Laina layered with the sounds of the wind, Giraud’s breathing, and the occasional yee-hah!, Super Frenchie explores the higher power of nature and the place this extreme and tender human calls home.

Author Bios

Gail Johnson

Gail Johnson is cofounder and associate editor of Stir. The Vancouver-based journalist who has earned local and national nominations and awards for her work. She is a certified Gladue Report writer via Indigenous Perspectives Society in partnership with Royal Roads University and is a member of a judging panel for top Vancouver restaurants.

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