Nine global outdoor, adventure and sportswear brands teamed up to finance a new shirt film, ‘North Country’, which chronicles the legacy of Lahout’s – the oldest ski shop in the Americas.
Lahout’s is a family-owned ski shop in the White Mountains of New Hampshire founded in 1920 by Lebanese immigrants in search of the American dream and still operates out of the same storefront location in Littleton today – 100 years later.
Now being run by the fourth generation of the family, the local, independent store has outfitted its community with skis and ski gear for a century – despite the challenges encountered by immigrants with little education, the hardships of running a family business, the natural challenges of the north country’s rugged and unforgiving landscape, not to mention the Great Deepression, World War II, the Dot Com Crash, the rise of the global conglomerate and ecommerce and now the pandemic and the Great Recession.
A group of nine global adventure equipment, outdoorwear and sports apparal brands – Burton, K2, Keen, Kuhl, Merrell, North Face, Icelantic Skis, Prana and Salomon – teamed up to finance the movie.
The film tells the story of the shop and its owners who put a community on skis and it is told through the lens of the American dream and the reality of struggle as well as of success.
Over the years, the movie explores the root of the store’s success and the backbone of its longevity with a focus is on the owners’ loyalty, community commitment, plus a concern for the promotion of their products and long standing partnerships.
The aim is to inspire immigrants, millennials, family businesses, and outdoor enthusiasts across America.
It was initially teased through a classic film trailer before the 21 October premier of the full 21-minute video on Vimeo
Click to view the full film:
The film’s executive producer was Anthony Lahout, the great-grandson of the store’s founders, and it was created by production company Stept Studios and helmed by award-winning director Nick Martini with cinematographer Cam Riley, Editor Mattias Evangelista and sound by Alex Boll.
“The locals in the White Mountains define strength, perseverance, and independence,” commented executive producer, Anthony Lahout. “The making of this film taught me that no matter how much time you have spent growing up in a place, or how close you are to your elders, massive lessons can always be learned.”
“We loved how this project came together. This model of funding provides an ideal opportunity for brands closely aligned from a values perspective to create an artful piece that speaks to shared history and captivating personal stories” said Sept Studio’s Marketing Director Meredith Rodriguez,
“Growing up skiing in northern New Hampshire, I really connected with that part of the country, but I personally had no idea how rich the area’s history was,” added Nick Martini, Founder and Director at Stept Studios. “Once we began working with the Lahout family, I started learning that where I grew up was really the birthplace of skiing in America. It was fascinating. I spent four years traveling back and forth capturing Joe Lahout Senior’s story, and it was really eye-opening to see these polarising worlds of family, sport, and culture all collide.”
Comment:
100-year-old businesses hardly exist at all anymore and the few that are still in business are going through one of the toughest retail environment’s history.
Little wonder then that the family and the film have garnered praise and admiration and scooped awards around the world during its pre-release festival run: including the International Ski History Association Film Of The Year (ISHA), the New Hampshire Film Of The Year (NHFF), the Telly Award Gold for General Non-Broadcast and Silver for General Biography, the Maine Outdoor Film Festival’s Best Film From Away, and the 5point Adventure Film Festival award for Best Director – Creative Excellence.
Other gongs it has picked up are selections from international film festivals such as Trento (Italy), Bilbao Mendi (Spain), Torelló Mountain (Spain), Melbourne Documentary (Australia), Banff (Canada), NorthwestFest International (Canada), Kendal Mountainfest (United Kingdom), Mountainfilm Graz (Austria), St. Anton (Austria), Telluride Mountainfilm, Breckenridge, Maine Outdoor, Santa Barbara, Wild & Scenic, Monadnock, Deep Focus, New Hampshire, and Vermont International film festivals.
Links:
Lahout’s
https://www.facebook.com/Lahouts
https://www.youtube.com/user/lahouts
https://www.instagram.com/lahouts/
Stept Studios
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