Last Chair, First Run

Blood Road(en)

Blood Road follows the journey of ultra-endurance mountain bike athlete Rebecca Rusch and her Vietnamese riding partner, Huyen Nguyen, as they pedal 1,200 miles along the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail through the dense jungles of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Their goal: to reach the site where Rebecca’s father, a U.S. Air Force pilot, was shot down in Laos more than 40 years earlier.

First Descent(en)

First Descent is a 2005 documentary film about snowboarding and its beginning in the 1980s. The snowboarders featured in this movie (Shawn Farmer, Nick Perata, Terje Haakonsen, Hannah Teter and Shaun White with guest appearances from Travis Rice) represent three generations of snowboarders and the progress this young sport has made over the past two decades. Most of the movie was shot in Alaska.

Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations(de)

Starting with a long and lyrical overture, evoking the origins of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, Riefenstahl covers twenty-one athletic events in the first half of this two-part love letter to the human body and spirit, culminating with the marathon, where Jesse Owens became the first track and field athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympics.

A View to a Kill(en)

A newly-developed microchip designed by Zorin Industries for the British Government that can survive the electromagnetic radiation caused by a nuclear explosion has landed in the hands of the KGB. James Bond must find out how and why. His suspicions soon lead him to big industry leader Max Zorin who forms a plan to destroy his only competition in Silicon Valley by triggering a massive earthquake in the San Francisco Bay.

STRoNG, aussi forts que fragiles(fr)

Discover STRoNG, as strong as they are fragile, a new documentary which takes a modest look at mental health and depression in high-level sport through the testimonies of surfer Jérémy Florès, swimmer Camille Lacourt, skier Perrine Laffont, handball player Valentin Porte and fencer Ysaora Thibus.

Draw(en)

More(en)

Once again Absinthe Films raises the bar to bring you 'More'. This title marks the beginning of a new era for Absinthe Films as they have broadened their scope to include and properly represent urban riding while still keeping the overall blend fresh and un-repetitive.

Perfect moment - L'aventure continue(fr)

On land, sea and air: sport and extreme sensations. On the program, among others: Garret McNamara's fight with "Jaws", a formidable surfing spot, snowboarding with Xavier De Le Rue, three times world champion, windsurfing with Josh Angulo in Cape Verde, freefly with the parachutists of Team Babylon.

Extreme Ops(en)

While filming an advertisement, some extreme sports enthusiasts unwittingly stop a group of terrorists.

Ready(en)

Absinthe remains committed to documenting these amazing riders with the most timeless and stylish medium: Film. Following up to last year’s question ‘Optimistic?’, Absinthe answers with a crew of riders who overcome obstacles with spontaneity and skill in another full spectrum snowboard film that is down to have some more fun with snowboarding. Ready.

Double Decade(en)

Double Decade marks Mack Dawg Productions’ 20th anniversary of filmaking. It is with great pride that we present this epic snowboarding film. Double Decade is a look into the past, and a look into the future of freestyle snowboarding. This movie is so ill it can only be rated S for Sick. Mack Dawg Productions, 20 years deep and still loving it. Damn, times flies when you’re having fun.

Stand(en)

Raw and unflinching examination of the courageous life of basketball star and social justice activist Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Born Chris Jackson, he overcame tremendous adversity to reach the NBA and found his true calling when he converted to Islam. His decision not to stand for the national anthem, however, turned him from prodigy to pariah. Told candidly by Abdul-Rauf himself more than 20 years later it’s the remarkable story of one man who kept the faith and paved the way for a social justice movement.

CIRCLE OF MADNESS(en)

CIRCLE OF MADNESS features star athletes Markus Eder (ski) & Victor de Le Rue (snowboard) returning one more time to the legendary spine walls of Haines, Alaska. In the place where extreme free-riding movies were born, standing on the shoulders of their peers, their emulated friendship will help them push it to the very next level. From the most renown and historical lines to a camping mission in the middle of a never-seen-before mountain face, Markus and Victor’s obsession becomes a descent into madness.

Breaking2(en)

After six months of scientifically advanced training, three of the world's most elite distance runners set out to break the two-hour marathon barrier. These pioneers go on a global trek to defy the unthinkable and break the two-hour feat, from testing in wind tunnels and running labs in the United States, to balancing training with their day-to- day lives in eastern Africa, to the final heart-pounding race in Italy.

Fire & Ice(de)

Their first meeting is a disaster: he falls off the ski lift, and when she jumps to rescue him he leads her on a Key Stone Cops chase down the mountain. For JOHN EAVES, six-time winner of the Freestyle World Cup and stunt man for James Bond, it's love at first sight. For World Champion Freestyle skier SUZY CHAFFEE, it's a see-ya-later-buddy. But John doesn't give up easily. He decides that if the only way to win her means following her across country, then that's what he'll do. Starting in Manhattan he trudges 3,000 miles, through urban jungle and flatland desert, all the time fantasizing about what they'll do when they're together. Spectacular filming of incredible ski stunts and snow dancing blend with a power-punching soundtrack to make FIRE AND ICE a movie packed with action and adventure. If you don't ski, you will!

Up in the Sky(en)

Factor Films has been on the marketplace for several years now presenting the Scandinavian snowboard scene to the rest of the world. Their latest work is Up In The Sky, a snowboard movie filmed mainly in Iceland and Norway featuring young and mostly unknown riders along with more famous ones like Torstein Horgmo, Stale Sandbech and Kareem El Rafie. The riding level, needless to say, is very high but the photography and soundtrack are also well tuned to give a light feeling. Most of the tricks are so dope and easily stomped that you don’t even notice until you see it a second time..

That's It, That's All(en)

Dedicated to everything snowboarding, Travis Rice and a dream team crew set out on a seek-and-destroy operation for the new zone, the new trick and the new perspective on the sport. Aspiring to bring you closer, the Hi Def, 35mm, super16 footage answers the question why Trice and his friends have poured blood, sweat, tears and soul into a simple thing like snowboarding.

Won't Back Down(en)

From his humble beginnings in his hometown of Sheffield, England, Steve Peat has established himself as one of the worlds most iconic cyclists. Peaty has been competing at the top level in his chosen sport of downhill mountain bike racing for the past 23 years, longer than the lifetime of many of his current competitors. Through 20 years of archival footage and photos and intimate interviews with Steve, his family, close friends and competitors, Won’t Back Down takes viewers on a captivating tour of the history of the sport of downhill mountain bike racing and offers a never-before-seen view into the life and legacy of this enduring icon.

Joe Louis: America's Hero Betrayed(en)

An American story. Traces the career of Joe Louis (1914-1981) within the context of American racial consciousness: his difficulty getting big fights early in his career, the pride of African-Americans in his prowess, the shift of White sentiment toward Louis as Hitler came to power, Louis's patriotism during World War II, and the hounding of Louis by the IRS for the following 15 years. In his last years, he's a casino greeter, a drug user, and the occasional object of scorn for young Turks like Muhammad Ali. Appreciative comment comes from boxing scholars, Louis's son Joe Jr., friends, and icons like Maya Angelou, Dick Gregory, and Bill Cosby.

Neverland(en)

Neverland is a state of mind, a mountain pushed up from the ground by imagination. Anyone can go but most people have trouble with the simple directions: Follow your dreams. This winter Absinthe dropped down the rabbit hole to explore this elusive place and brought back some mind bending tales and a pocketful of surprises.