Exploring Kyrgyzstan (2016)

This film tells the story of the Austrian snowboard club and charity organization, Cappuccino Club, travelling to Kirgistan. In 2011, the charity had raised funds through the making of a non-profit snowboarding calendar. All of these benefits went into micro projects in Kirgistan. The connection came through Alois Schläffer, one of the clubs members who has been working and living in Kirgistan for some time. Now it was time for the Cappuccinos to go visit the country themselves and see first hand what impact their funded projects had had in the country and to catch up with some of their partners in the area, including UN Women Bishkek. Of course they also brought their snowboards and went on to discover the snowy valleys and mountains. It is with special splitboards, that the crew hikes far into previously un-ridden terrains and climbs up to snowy mountain tops to reach for powder filled descents. Everything seems to be going fine until one cold clear day the crew has to pass a frozen river. At first glance the river seems save, packed with freshly fallen snow, but the danger lies underneath the white surface.