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Heart Stopping Freefall...
Shot entirely on location amidst the condo towers of downtown Toronto, Canada, Jump is a personal exploration of the underground sport of basejumping. The film follows one aficionado, waiter by day, basejumper by night, and the two friends who share his passion. Through their eyes, Jump examines our perceptions of risk and danger, considers the issues of legality and of having only one parachute, and explores the notion of meditation... through heart-stopping freefall. Basejumping, using a parachute to perform a low altitude drop from a fixed object, is a highly specialized & controversial sport. Formally established in the 1980's its name is an acronym for the four different types of objects from which one can jump: building, antenna, span, earth. In North America there are approximately 1000 registered basejumpers and only one legally sanctioned annual event. Enthusiasts must therefore pursue their interest in secret, often at night in the dark, sometimes alone. A Shared Passion... For the three friends at the heart of Jump, basejumping is a shared passion. It is a skill they have practised and developed, it is the means to fulfill their need for an exhilarating high. For one it is an extension of his profession as a motion picture stuntman. For another it is a means to meditate, to break the monotony of daily routine, to engage with life. An Extreme Sport? Though it uses breathtaking onboard footage to capture the experience of basejumping first hand, Jump seeks not to simply exploit the apparent danger of the sport. In a world in which sports are labelled as extreme and the fear factors of the unskilled are packaged as entertainment, the film upholds the importance of process, skill and knowledge. It argues that danger and risk are relative and determined by ability. A sport is only extreme if you don't know how to do it. Through the eyes of three friends who proclaim their love of life, Jump asks its audience to consider what they would and would not do to add some excitement to their lives. It offers a unique perspective on living, and finding adventure, in an urban landscape. And it will certainly provoke viewers to never look at tall buildings the same way again. |
Jump |
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