Title180 SOUTH

180 SOUTH is the story of
one of the most unique and prolific environmentalists of our time -Yvon
Chouinard. Rather than re-living Yvon's story through old photos and
his life's work with pie charts, 180 SOUTH weaves
Chouinard's tale through a modern day expedition. This expedition was
inspired by the rumor of a legendary trip in 1968 and the proof that
came with it when the lost cans of film that documented the trip were
recently discovered. The old footage captures Chouinard and best friend
Doug Tompkins in 1968 as they explore untouched mountain ranges and
un-surfed coastline on a 5000 mile expedition from California to deep
Patagonia. For the two men, the original '68 adventure still stands as
"the trip of our lives."

A
young American adventurer named Jeff Johnson happened upon the footage
in 1990 and spent the next ten years of his life dreaming of following
their footsteps south. In 2007, Jeff dropped everything to finally
fulfill his dream. He set out to follow Chouinard's classic route on
what became a six month traverse of North and South America. His hope
is simply to find unclimbed mountains and un-ridden waves in the spirit
of his heroes. However, as he travels, his eyes open up to the see
environmental disasters that threaten these places as well as the human
triumphs that are working to save them.

From
the start of the film, each scene seamlessly echoes back and forth
between Jeff's modern day adventure and conversations happening in a
century old stone cabin in deep Patagonia. The two men (Chouinard and
Tompkins) cook the fish they have just caught on a wood-burning stove.
Their hair is silver now and the lines on their faces speak volumes.
They have been best friends and expedition partners for over fifty
years. They recount their lives with simple and humble narratives (all
of which have achieved folkloric stature in the outdoor world). The
stories come to life with classic archival footage and hand drawn
animation (by artist Geoff McFetridge). Each story flows in-and-out of
Jeff's voyage becoming a parable to a thesis that has solidified them
as true visionaries in the most important revolution of our time: the
preservation of the natural world.

As
the film progresses and Jeff picks up several more characters, each
with their own unique views of the world, we realize that Jeff has been
with the old men in the cabin the whole time. Asking the questions that
have produced the stories and philosophies we see. We also come to find
out that we are on the eve of what could be the last big climb of their
lives together (as they are both almost 70 now). It is an unclimbed,
unnamed peak that is part of a two-million acre preserve. A park that
the two have created together