{"id":19481,"date":"2019-12-09T15:23:36","date_gmt":"2019-12-09T23:23:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/?post_type=blog&p=19481"},"modified":"2023-09-29T10:31:47","modified_gmt":"2023-09-29T17:31:47","slug":"telling-the-incredible-true-story-of-a-dogsledding-legend","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/telling-the-incredible-true-story-of-a-dogsledding-legend\/","title":{"rendered":"Telling the Incredible True Story of a Dogsledding Legend"},"content":{"rendered":"

Filmmaker Catharine Axley\u00a0seeks stories of empowerment through subjects that defy expectations, and the lesser-known but remarkable story of George Attla certainly qualifies. Axley’s film\u00a0ATTLA<\/em><\/a>, which won Best Feature Documentary at the American Indian Film Festival,\u00a0looks at the charismatic Alaska Native dogsled racer who, with one good leg and fierce determination, became a legendary sports hero in Northern communities around the world.<\/p>\n

The award-winning filmmaker, who is currently a Filmmaker-in-Residence at the University of Kentucky, talked to us about what drew her to Attla’s story, how she got to know George and his family in order to make this film so intimately, and the most unforgettable moment from the film.<\/p>\n

Why did you want to make a film about George Attla?<\/b><\/p>\n

I first learned about George Attla while reading an Alaskan newspaper, and was immediately intrigued. Here was this 80-year-old who had dominated his sport for decades, was considered a rock star-like, living Alaskan legend, and yet was just beginning a new chapter of life. After years in the spotlight, Attla had returned to his village of Huslia, Alaska, and had founded a program in his late son\u2019s name to introduce a new generation to dog mushing. This was a unique form of cultural revitalization and I wanted to know more.<\/span><\/p>\n

What I found out soon after was a filmmaker\u2019s dream: That very year, George would be training his young grandnephew, Joe Bifelt, to compete in the same race where George\u2019s career had begun. Their time together over the next few months was touching – it was an honor to document such a unique intergenerational relationship.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When George passed away, Joe, George\u2019s partner, Kathy, George\u2019s family, and the entire team supporting George and Joe\u2019s dream of racing came together to ensure that Joe would make it to the championship race. And he did!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Though the film touches on loss and hardship, ultimately ATTLA<\/em> is about finding one\u2019s identity; from a young George, returning to his village in 1951 as a TB survivor and discovering dogsled racing as a way to realize his ambitions; to a young Joe in contemporary Alaska, exploring the same sport as a means to forge a closer relationship with his elders and their shared cultural traditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout, I\u2019ve been struck with how the economic and cultural forces of colonization in Alaska that have occurred in the span of George\u2019s life are reflected in every stage of his career. Working with state archives, launching a community campaign for archival footage, and conducting extensive interviews with family members and colleagues has been central to exploring these themes in a way only film can.<\/span><\/p>\n

What do you hope audiences take away from ATTLA<\/em> after they see it? What kind of conversations would you like the film to inspire?<\/b><\/p>\n

I hope the film allows audiences across the country to recognize a sports hero from a community and sport that isn\u2019t often covered in popular media.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I hope that the film encourages dialogue and excitement around unique forms of cultural revitalization, expanding our understanding of what cultural revitalization can be and why it\u2019s significant – and ideally encourages other communities that aspire to reinvigorate their own cultural identities and practices to embark on projects of their own.<\/span><\/p>\n

I hope the film can also be a way to promote the incorporation of Indigenous histories, culture, and practices into k12 curricula across the country. And in Alaska, that some young viewers may be inspired by Joe\u2019s journey, and consider becoming future educators.<\/span><\/p>\n

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in making this film?<\/b><\/p>\n

George\u2019s passing was undoubtedly the most difficult chapter in making this film. I am so grateful that I did get to know George during his last months, and the last time I saw him, I promised to see this film through in order to share his commitment of passing on the tradition to a new generation. I know he would be so excited that the film will be seen nationwide by a public television audience, and he would be so proud to see that his grandnephew is now sharing his legacy in the classroom with his own students.<\/span><\/p>\n

There were many other challenges throughout the production of the film, but one of the most critical challenges we faced was distilling George\u2019s story to chapters that were in dialogue with the present-day story of George mentoring Joe. Our Editing Consultant Lawrence Lerew brought his knack for story, structure, and emotional editing in order to streamline our material into a film that could connect with audiences and do our film participants justice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How did you ingratiate yourself, and gain the trust of Attla and his family?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

I first contacted George Attla and his partner, Kathy Turco, in July, 2014, and knew that for them to agree to be part of this film project, I\u2019d have to do everything I could to gain their trust. I read George\u2019s biography, read his very technical mushing book (fascinating, even for someone who knows nothing about mushing!), found archival newspapers, and watched as many archival film clips of George as I could find. I traveled to Fairbanks in August, 2014 to meet George and Kathy in person at a screening of the 1979 narrative feature, Spirit of the Wind<\/em><\/strong>, that is about George\u2019s childhood up until his 1958 Fur Rendezvous win (Rose Ambrose, George\u2019s sister, plays George\u2019s mom).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n