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Champions of the Golden Valley

  • 2024
  • 1h 21m
IMDb RATING
9.2/10
79
YOUR RATING
Champions of the Golden Valley (2024)
Sports DocumentaryActionAdventureDocumentarySport

CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY is an award-winning documentary that captures the emergence of a homegrown ski culture in the snow-capped mountains of Afghanistan. The film reveals a breathta... Read allCHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY is an award-winning documentary that captures the emergence of a homegrown ski culture in the snow-capped mountains of Afghanistan. The film reveals a breathtaking and seldom-seen side of the country, a remote region where joy, resilience, and commu... Read allCHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY is an award-winning documentary that captures the emergence of a homegrown ski culture in the snow-capped mountains of Afghanistan. The film reveals a breathtaking and seldom-seen side of the country, a remote region where joy, resilience, and community are forged on the slopes. At the heart of this movement is Alishah Farhang, a former ... Read all

  • Director
    • Ben Sturgulewski
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    9.2/10
    79
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Ben Sturgulewski
    • 10User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 19 wins & 4 nominations total

    Photos1

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    User reviews10

    9.279
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    Featured reviews

    10jessiemac-89744

    Bring your tissues!!!!

    Let me start by saying, I'm not a fan of documentaries or subtitles. That being said, I absolutely loved this movie. I quickly forgot it was a documentary or that I was even reading subtitles. It was a heart wrenching, beautiful, emotional experience. It was a privilege to connect and experience a culture so different than mine and was even more poignant with the current political shift in our country at the moment. This movie highlighted a universal connection and told the stories of brave champions that I otherwise never would have heard of. In such a short time, I experienced hope, pride, love, nervousness, joy, fear, sadness, and rage. I cheered for people that I will never know and for a moment was able to share into a feeling of universal connectedness. I highly recommend this movie to everyone!!!!
    10rastrellipaul

    A film about shared humanity, friendship, loss and grief, and skiing

    This film completely blew me away.

    It follows skiers from the Bamyan region of Afghanistan during the years 2019-2022. It shows how shared goals and the joy of sports can unite communities and how these pursuits extend far beyond just winning. The themes of this film are universally applicable and very salient today.

    After watching this film, I'm inspired to get to know my neighbors better, support refugees in my community, and adopt curiosity when meeting new people and people who are different than me.

    This isn't a political film. It's a film about our shared humanity as citizens of the globe. I cannot recommend it enough!
    10nicholasancelin

    Life changing.

    This film opens up the heart, mind, and soul to the realities of life for our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan - and does so through the lens of a beloved past time, skiing.

    This film is not only emotionally powerful, but beautifully made. The story told here dances with brilliant usages of lighting, music, personal testimony, and human expressions.

    I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to have seen this film twice now in person. I hope and pray that the film industry embraces this film and grants the general public the privilege of sharing this cinematic experience of human expression and world unity.
    10as-81569

    Must watch for everyone!

    This film is incredible in both its cinematography and visual story telling, as well as all of the individual stories within this film. It made me laugh, cry, and gave me chills. This is truly a powerful story that I would recommend to any adult.

    I am writing this review after my second time seeing it. This is a movie you could continue to watch over and over and still see different parts of it come through every time. In my opinion, that is truly a testament of how remarkable this movie is.

    The heart and soul of this movie truly comes through as everyone involved with this film has been so deeply connected to one another.
    10samsidiqi

    Shows the joy of skiing while giving an intimate portrait of those whose stories haven't been told

    Champions covers a lot of ground. It is fundamentally a ski movie about a competition, but it is also a refugee story, a history of a valley, and an intimate portrait of individuals struggling with their lot in life. It is impressive how well the film covers all of these in a cohesive whole in its 80-minute run time.

    As a skier, I love how it captures the joy of skiing. It helps me realize how lucky I am to have the opportunities I have, when these poor shepherds can enjoy skiing without winter clothes on wooden skis they make themselves.

    As an Afghan citizen, I appreciate that the director respected his subjects and helped them tell their true story without pushing his own US agenda.

    As a human, I appreciate that this story focuses on our joint humanity.

    It's a wonderful movie, and I highly recommend it.

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    Storyline

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • June 9, 2024 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Dari
    • Filming locations
      • USA
    • Production companies
      • Sturgefilm
      • Tideshift Studio
      • Optimist
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      • 1h 21m(81 min)
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2:1

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