“Ruin and Rose,” a feature-length movie that takes extreme skiing to new heights, will be screened at the Palace Danbury. The film is much more than a series of breathtaking maneuvers — it’s also an imaginative tale about a world without snow, which offers a message for the future.
Zack Giffin, who lives in Colorado, is among the movie’s all-star cast of skiers. “Every stunt you see is 100 percent real,” he said, referring to sand skiing and snow skiing in no-fall zones, where if you slip up, it’s all over.
Saturday’s screening will be the Connecticut premiere of “Ruin and Rose.” Giffin said the title refers to the movie’s essence: “a planet ruined, and the spirit of humanity overcoming that, and finding beauty in the ashes.”
Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Ben Sturgulewski, the movie was created by Matchstick Productions, a Colorado company known for its incredible ski flicks. They are filmed everywhere, from France and the Swiss Alps to the African deserts of Namibia.
Unlike other ski films, “Ruin and Rose” begins not in the snow, but on the edge of an endless desert where a group of children survives on their own. When a young boy unearths an ancient relic, hinting at the lost wonders of winter, he sets off to find the ghosts who once called the mountains their home.
“I have lived my life immersed in the ski culture, and I think this is a very exciting movie,” Giffin said. “Matchstick Productions has always set the bar for what a top-level ski action film could be. From a cinematography standpoint to an athletic standpoint, for me, they have always been the one to watch.”
Giffin said many sports films have been caught up in a cookie-cutter format that’s grown fairly stale over the years, and people have been thirsty for something more. Between this movie’s death-defying athleticism and out-of-this-world story, Giffin said “Ruin and Rose” delivers, not just for ski enthusiasts, but for everyone who loves adventure and cares about our planet.
“Skiing is connected to the climate. Without snow and snowfall, the way we experience our sport has no future,” he said. “This film explores a world where climate change has run its course, and it explores it from a child’s perspective of having that desire to experience the beauty and magic of winter.”
Giffin said if the world continues to ignore certain environmental concerns, it’s likely desertification will increase. He said “Ruin and Rose” brings into question the value we place on the things we love, and how our actions impact those things.
“At the same time,” he said, “it’s an amazing action sports film that definitely showcases the world’s top-level talent performing incredible acrobatic maneuvers in the most insane winter landscapes imaginable.”
When not indulging his passion for adventure on snow-covered peaks, Giffin is a host and renovation expert on FYI TV’s “Tiny House Nation,” the popular show about very small houses. He said the film’s message is a bit symbiotic with the focus of the series, since it encourages people to discover and live in ways that are less demanding on the environment, while not losing the quality of life they enjoy.
“Ruin and Rose” will be screened as a highlight at the Palace Danbury’s sixth annual Ski Extravaganza Night. As always, thousands of dollars in door prizes, such as ski gear and lift tickets, will be given away as part of the event.