At night, a convoy of tractor crawlers rattle through the snow to groom the ski slopes. Just under 3000 metres in altitude, excavators dig into the ground using dynamite to build a reservoir for the preparation of artificial snow. Concrete blocks of apartments are springing up everywhere, while elsewhere in the mountains, young people have long since moved away and old people talk about how their hometown no longer has a future. Too many regions in the Alps have become dependent on hopelessly commercialized skiing. In PEAK, Hannes Lang observes the invasion and hostile takeover of the Alps by ski tourism and introduces us to the people affected: winners and losers, enthusiasts, sceptics and lost souls.
Cinematography
Haunting night shots of groomers turning mountains into alien landscapes.
Direction
Lang lets locals speak while machines do the screaming.
Director
Hannes Lang
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Artificial snowmaking now consumes up to 50% of energy in some Alpine regions, a fact the industry aggressively downplays.
Lang spent three winters filming, deliberately avoiding ski season daylight to capture the invisible night labor that sustains the fantasy.
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