“Signatures,” the second film from Sweetgrass Productions, is a ski movie that I’ve wanted to see for a long time. I finally had the chance to sit down and watch it recently, and the wait was totally worth it.
“Signatures” is the polar opposite of your typical ski movie. It’s like a breath of fresh air blowing out the stale, polluted style of ski movies that have grown tired and cliché. This film is a love poem to powder skiing and it chronicles an entire ski season in Hokkaido, Japan. Rather than focusing on the jet setting, high-octane lives of sponsored skiers, the filmmakers instead chose to lay down roots and spend months filming in a single location, where they could really delve into the culture and soul of the local skiers and the mountains they call home.
What really sets “Signatures” apart, however, is the way the filmmakers approach the material. Long shots of impossibly deep powder skiing and snowboarding, coupled with careful, slow-paced editing set to a soulful soundtrack, hits the perfect note. It is obvious that every shot, every sequence and every song was carefully chosen to create a certain mood to match the season in the film. January is slow and moody, whereas March and April are sunny and full of vigor. The music, editing and gorgeous cinematography creates a hypnotic rhythm that makes me want to quit my job, move to Japan, and live a simple life skiing powder.
“Signatures” is great because it’s also much more than just a ski movie. It’s a look at everything from the changing seasons, the Japanese approach to life and skiing, how the seasons transform us as people, how water goes from the mountains to the oceans, and in turn, how skiers turn into surfers and fishermen. The film is about ski lines. And for the narrator of the film, a single line is a reflection of everything a person has experienced in life. Ski movies don’t get much deeper than that, yet “Signatures” goes there while still providing the requisite awe of deep-powder skiing.
I only had one problem with the film. I felt it was too short. I was so into the movie that I didn’t want it to end, and I felt the same bittersweet disappointment I feel when winter is over. But I’d rather “Signatures” remain short yet perfect, rather than be too long and tedious.
As of this writing, ski movies are no longer touring the country, but you can purchase “Signatures” for $24.95 at the Sweetgrass Productions website. But to really get a sense of the style, pacing and beautiful footage from the film, check out the preview below.
I highly recommend this movie to everybody who loves skiing and considers life in the mountains to be only way to live.