Synopsis

This is a story about love and loss. As Alan Jackson, 86, nears the end of life, everything in his world has been stripped away. What’s left is love. Love for his partner, Nan, and love of the outdoors. This film explores the struggle between aging, and remaining active and vital late into life. A Cancer survivor twice over, Alan spends his days caring for his ailing partner – doling out medication, driving her to doctor appointments, and pushing her wheelchair to the dining area in the assisted living facility they now call home. He is committed to caring for his partner. He is equally committed to remaining active in the outdoors as he ages. Alan is a life-long athlete, having competed in the Pentathlon at the national level in his youth. He has carried that athleticism into his 80s, making a point of getting out to ski, bike or run every day. This short documentary follows Alan through the disparity of his daily existence in winter – navigating life in an assisted living facility, as well as backcountry skiing in the mountains around his Bozeman, Montana home. It will be shot in a contemplative, thoughtful style that gives space for some of the big questions we are all faced with: When everything else is stripped away in life, what will be left and who will we be? Official Selection 2021: Backcountry Film Festival. Official Selections 2020: VIMFF, Kendal Mountain Film Festival, Ottawa Adventure Film Festival.