To Know a Mountain - A Review and Reflection

I distinctly remember reading Nan Shepherd’s The Living Mountain while at art school, researching ecology, art and collaborations/participations with the land. I was recommended this book by my dissertation supervisor, it was “a must read” for my own work, which explored ontopoetics (communication with self and environment) and inspired much of my own writing and creative dialogues. It was therefore a joy to watch and absorb To Know a Mountain, a film by Emily Baker and Michelle Sanders, reconnecting with the tactility and aesthetics of Nan’s writing. The film follows an all women expedition through the Cairngorms and is formed of gentle pacing, poetic readings, reflections and gorgeous cinematography revealing the many facets of the mountain. Beginning in Rothiemurchus they walk towards “Nan’s beloved Wells of Dee, that lie on the plateau of Braeriach”. We hear diverse perspectives and stories of the group; why they walk, their interests and creative passions. There is emphasis on the bliss of the meanderer, how such sauntering facilitates creativity. I am reminded of how natural environments encourage creativity, their ecologies as artistic muses and teachers of expression. 

The weather turns, the mountains shroud in mist. Rain falls heavy and the glen rushes as it quickly fills. 8mm film is stitched into the frame and the group finds flat ground to rest and camp for the night. In the morning the storm has broken and calm is felt, they awake next to a body of water. Ameena’s copy of The Living Mountain is soaked through, an honest reflection on the embodied experience. The weather clears and the landscape reveals itself. As well as human stories, there are wonderful cuts of lichen, moss and fungi, birds of prey and small creatures like slugs and toads. The next night there is a wonderful sunset, the sky like a trailing fire in the contours of the clouds. They wake with a wild swim and recount the depth of their journey and weight of its end.

This is one of my favourites from the tour, through all its intricacies and details; a sensitive and dynamic portrayal of people and place. It is a wonderful ode to Nan Shepherd, her life and accomplishments.

Photos by Ameena Rojee