A pioneering short film series aims to promote new standards of inclusivity in adventure filmmaking and the outdoors. Premiered on the BERGHAUS YOUTUBE channel, all episodes are available to watch with open captions, audio description and on-screen British Sign Language (BSL) translation.
BERGHAUS believes the outdoors should be for everyone, but the reality is different, and there are many barriers to access. Inspiring a more adventurous way of life by empowering viewers with moving, relatable and uplifting stories, the Ascension Series shares the stories of people who have defined themselves in the great outdoors.
Outdoors photographer, climber and activist Adam Raja stars in the Ascension Series’ opening chapter – a film that explores cultural heritage, identity and connection to a landscape. An emotive 10-minute journey follows a young Scottish man with Pakistani heritage who spent his youth embroiled in gang culture, knife crime, drug and alcohol abuse until he set foot in the mountains.
“There is a huge spectrum of barriers that hold us back and stop us from getting out there,” says Dan Cunningham, Global Head of Brand at Berghaus. “Those barriers can be mental and physical, tangible and intangible. But they exist and we’re serious about smashing them. And one thing we can do to help with this is shine a strong light on the people that have overcome them.”
Two further films are set for release in 2023 featuring mountain and adventure sports photographer and filmmaker Hamish Frost and mountaineer and climber Morag Skelton. Berghaus is thankful to series producers COLDHOUSE COLLECTIVE for their ongoing work in enabling people with sight and hearing difficulties get access to inspiring outdoors content.
Targeted particularly at individuals and groups who think that the outdoors isn’t for them, Berghaus hopes to shift attitudes, fostering an environment to encourage more people to find their own space outdoors.
