The Nature Track film festival 2023 ‘Out there: A National Parks story’ reviewed

OUT THERE: A National Parks Story.

Director: Brendan Hall

It took seven years for maverick director Brendan Hall to complete ‘Out there: A National Parks story’. It was worth the struggle, the resilience, the hard work, and the courage as this majestic film is a true “tour de force” and it will amaze you by its beauty and its spirituality. Watch Brendan and, his best friend, take a tour of various the National Parks across the USA. 10,000 miles and an amazing achievement. You will be truly inspired by this journey and the people Brendan met along the way. On the eve of The Nature Track film festival set for Oct 6-8 in Goleta, CA (www.NatureTrackfilmfestival.org ) we caught up via a zoom interview with Brendan. The journey continues and maybe you will encounter Brendan on one of the many magic trails of the National Parks of America.

Q: What inspired you to do this film, and what were you trying to accomplish with it?

Brendan: This was a story I wanted to try and tell, as a filmmaker. Anthony Blake who I made the film with, and I wanted to make a film about a story never told about National Parks. It’s the story of common people who found connections with these various places. When looking at other films made about parks, many features extreme athletes. We had never seen a film that captures the spirit of the people we met along the way. One thing I wanted to achieve was telling those stories and inspire people to get out and go visit these parks. Looking at all these people we met is inspiring and I hope the audience can find their own connection with those parks like these people we interviewed. As a filmmaker I was just coming out of film school and deciding the path I was going to take in my life. I wanted to take on something that was bigger and more challenging than anything else I could imagine at that time. Rather than doing a small film set in one place. What if we did this 10,000-mile trip across the country instead and trying to weave together these stories and with the sweeping landscapes and see what happens. I wanted to challenge myself as much as possible and see how far this reckless ambition could take me. My thinking then was: if we pull this off, I’ll learn that a dream of a project like this isn’t quite as far off as we think. And, if we crash and burn, then I’ll know that I should be a little more realistic with my ambitions in the future.

Q: What were the many challenges you faced making this movie?

Brendan: This was truly an indie film. The first challenge was the financing. I self-financed entirely the production of our Doc. It wasn’t easy for these two young 22 years old kids. We were on our own road tripping and using my own camera gear. The biggest expenses were camping and food and gas for the 10,000 miles journey. Trying to make a film that was worthy of making it to the big screen for film festival was very difficult. The story unfolded as we went along on that trip and over the years it took to make this film. Even so the film tells the story of one summer in the national parks it took seven years to create it. Part of the reason is that I needed to grow as a filmmaker and a storyteller. Also, I edited the whole movie myself, which was another big challenge. My perspective was maturing over the years, and it helped me edit the best film possible. We were lucky we didn’t too many car troubles. The difficulty was finding the story and the tone and balancing all the elements we have in the film.

Q: What is this movie truly about, any messages?

Brendan: I think that at first, I thought it was just about national parks but now I realize it was about coming out of your comfort zone and take that journey that you have always dreamed of. Our title ‘Out there’ is an ode to that. It’s an ode to getting out there, beyond your comfort zone and to a new place, and into a landscape that might change your life. It’s also about stewardship. It’s about people from all walks of life and all ages connecting to the natural world. And how we can preserve these places for the next generations to come. I hope we can see in the future the preservation of this natural world in all the parks across the USA, for our enjoyment, our connection, our healing. It’s about falling in love and finding new versions of ourselves.

Q: What does it mean to come to a film festival like Nature Track?

Brendan: Coming to a festival like Nature Track and bringing the film to the California coast is a real dream for us. We are hoping to connect with fellow nature lovers and male connections that will empower the distribution of our film.