Yooper Tours: On the North Country Trail

Off the Beaten Path

January 2024 •English

In this immersive documentary, Winston Stairs invites the audience on a soul-soothing expedition into the world of hiking. Winston’s adventurous spirit guides the viewer through the forests of Ontario, sharing in the enchanting beauty of nature. Through breathtaking landscapes and personal reflections, the film captures Winston's profound love for hiking as more than a mere pastime—it becomes a transformative experience that welcomes self-discovery and a strong relationship with our environment. Join Winston on this inspirational trek, where every step reflects the joys of exploring and the tranquil side of our planet.

The Michigan Beer Film

October 2013 •English

The Michigan Beer Film explores the artistic and economic explosion of the Michigan craft beer industry in 2013. Shot over the course of 18 months, the film documents several breweries at different stages of the craft brewing journey, from a 1 barrel system to 800 fermenters. From Sawyer to Marquette, Leelanau to Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo to Detroit; craft beer is making an impact. The Michigan craft beer scene embodies an authenticity and determination that not only can Michigan connect with, but America as well.

5x5: A Hiking Film

January 2024 •English

Five men delve deep into the mountains of Utah, hitting five national parks within five days. What seems to be a typical hiking trip manages to turn into a reflective odyssey, with nostalgia bursting at the seams. Hikes swell into past moments already experienced, and current moments turn into those that will be remembered and told for lifetimes to come.

Pioneering Nevada's Basin and Range Trail

December 2021 •English

A long distance solo hiker maps out a 1000 mile route across the vast and untouched Nevada wilderness and spends the next 67 days making the trek.

Iceland: Lost in the Desert

January 2024 •Lithuanian

13 years ago, they didn't know what it was like to cycle in a harsh country. What it means to be knocked off their feet by winds. What it's like to wade through cold glacial rivers. For Algirdas, Iceland was the start of his travels, which led to trips to Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, India, Namibia and countless other countries. After 13 years of wandering, he returns to Iceland to find that what once seemed the most spectacular, beautiful and perfect country is still the same. This time, not without a bike, but with the same uncertainty in his heart: after travelling the world, will Iceland still look like a fairy-tale land? Or has it changed into an unrecognisable land, trampled by tourists...? In this adventure documentary, Dagne, who is seeing Iceland for the first time, travels across the island's inner wilderness, searching for those untouched shards of beauty, and occasionally discovering themselves instead.

Mile... Mile & A Half

June 2013 •English

In an epic snow year, five friends leave their daily lives behind to hike California's historic John Muir Trail, a 211-mile stretch from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney (the highest peak in the contiguous U.S.). Their goal - complete the journey in 25 days while capturing the amazing sights & sounds they encounter along the way. Inspired by their bond, humor, artistry & dedication, the group continues to grow: to include other artists, musicians & adventure seekers. Before they all reach the summit, hikers and viewers alike affirm the old adage - it's about the journey, not the destination. Mile... Mile & A Half is the feature-length documentary of that journey...

Barkley 100

June 2014 •English

This short documentary tells the story of one of the world’s most difficult and bizarre sporting events: The Barkley Marathons. This 100-mile footrace and its 60-hour time limit force athletes to run, crawl and climb an elevation gain equivalent to two treks up Mt. Everest. In nearly thirty years, only fourteen runners, out of over one thousand participants, have finished The Barkley.

Bad River

March 2024 •English

Wisconsin's tribe's ongoing fight to protect Lake Superior for future generations. "Bad River" shows the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa's long history of activism and resistance in the context of continuing legal battles with Enbridge Energy over its Line 5 oil pipeline. The Line 5 pipeline has been operating on 12 miles of the Bad River Band's land with expired easements for more than a decade. The Band and the Canadian company have been locked in a legal battle over the pipeline since 2019.

Wandering in the White

March 2019 •Finnish

When two former top orienteers end up in a snowstorm in Lapland wilderness, they face an impossible orienteering task: how to reach your destination when you can't tell earth from sky?

How to Fix a Primary

October 2020 •English

Follows the story that is shaking up Democratic Party politics nationwide, highlighting the role of power and money in a system many believe is broken but can be fixed.

INAATE/SE/

February 2016 •English

INAATE/SE/ re-imagines an ancient Ojibway story, the Seven Fires Prophecy, which both predates and predicts first contact with Europeans. A kaleidoscopic experience blending documentary, narrative, and experimental forms, INAATE/SE/ transcends linear colonized history to explore how the prophecy resonates through the generations in their indigenous community within Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. With acute geographic specificity, and grand historical scope, the film fixes its lens between the sacred and the profane to pry open the construction of contemporary indigenous identity.

Na krawędzi

July 2004 •Polish

Michigan vs. Ohio State: The Rivalry

November 2007 •English

Steeped in a rich tradition dating back to their inaugural meeting in 1897, this rivalry extends beyond the pursuit of a Big Ten title, and is renewed each year through the pageantry and colliding cultures that distinguish the two schools.

Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer

September 2003 •English

British documentarian Nick Broomfield creates a follow-up piece to his 1992 documentary of the serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a highway prostitute who was convicted of killing six men in Florida between 1989 and 1990. Interviewing an increasingly mentally unstable Wuornos, Broomfield captures the distorted mind of a murderer whom the state of Florida deems of sound mind -- and therefore fit to execute. Throughout the film, Broomfield includes footage of his testimony at Wuornos' trial.

Playlands of Michigan

March 1949 •English

This Traveltalk series short visits several popular vacation spots in Michigan. Among them are Saugatuck, which hosts a school for artists during the summer; Zeeland, where descendants of Dutch settlers perform traditional Dutch dances wearing wooden shoes; the Silver Lake sand dunes, where specially outfitted cars race; and Colon, "The Magic Capitol of the World", which hosts an annual gathering of magicians.

Alta Via dei Parchi. Viaggio a piedi in Emilia-Romagna

January 2013 •Italian

Yooper Creoles: Finnish Music in Michigan's Copper Country

January 2019 •English

When the immigrants came to America, their cultures entered the "great melting pot." In Michigan's Upper Peninsula Finnish immigrants mixed their musical traditions with many other cultures, creating a sound that was unique to the "Copper Country."

The Trek

February 2022 •English

To honor his father, Keith Doubman walks from Lewes, Delaware, to San Francisco, California, raising money for cancer research.

A Two Hearted Tale

April 2023 •English

“A Two Hearted Tale” is a heartfelt look at the history of the iconic trout label adorning Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, the Michigan-born beer that is the most popular IPA beer in America, and the label’s eccentric artist, Ladislav Hanka.

The Climb to Katahdin

January 2013 •English

A devoted couple and their dog set out to hike the Appalachian Trail. Where does it take them and what challenges will they face? Equipped with two cameras; one fastened to the dog's backpack, and the other strapped to the film maker's chest, this film is a unique blend of a couple's commitment to nature, a six-and-a-half month journey, and capturing every exciting moment along the way to provide entertainment and inspiration for others. It's no easy task to hike one of the Earth's oldest mountain ranges, let alone with the the appropriate camera gear on a minimal budget. Sure to capture the hearts of hiker enthusiasts and dog lovers alike. Watch as they traverse through mountains and embrace the support of the trail community.