2023 | UK | 11’
THE LAST SKIERS
A precious statement on the fragility of nature, told by a generation of Italian skiers who have seen the slopes they learned to ski on turn into arid, yellow hills.
Many European nations in 2023 experienced their warmest January days on record, with temperatures topping 20°C in some areas of northern Italy. Researchers report that snowfall in the Alps has decreased by more than 53% by 2023, casting a bleak future for ski resorts at lower and mid-altitudes, especially those without artificial snow systems.
This documentary explores the impact of climate change through the eyes of Italian skiers who have witnessed their beloved slopes transform from snowy landscapes to arid, yellow hills. The film captures their poignant reflections on the fragility of nature, as they revisit the ski resorts where they learnt to ski—now lost to global warming. It traces their memories of skiing in the Como province when these resorts were still open—before they, along with 400 other Italian ski resorts, were either abandoned or shut down due to the escalating climate crisis.
awards
Winner:
Best Documentary Short Film, The British Short Film Awards 2024
Honorable Mention, Milan Indie Film Festival 2024
Best Student Project, Conero Film + Adv 2024
Runner-up Portico Perspective, FOMI 2024
Otto-Guggenbichler-Nachwuchspreis, Tegernsee Mountain Film Festival 2023
Official selection:
Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival 2025
London Mountain Film Festival 2025
Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival 2024 (Nomination)
The British Short Film Awards 2024 (Nomination)
Watersprite Film Festival 2024 (Nomination)
Green Film Fest of San Francisco 2024
Der Berg Ruft 2024
Festival Of the Moving Image 2024
Boundless Film Festival 2024
Bolton International Film Festival 2024
Conero Film + Adv 2024
Ulsan Ulju Mountain Film Festival 2024
Milan Indie Film Festival 2024
Open City Documentary Festival 2023
Norwich Film Festival 2023
Tegernsee Mountain Film Festival 2023
Dutch Mountain Film Festival 2023
Nordic Adventure Film Festival 2023
Cast:
Roberto Ratti, Giuseppe Locatelli, Giuseppe Orlandi, Aldina Trabattoni, Amalia Trabatton, Giulio Beggio, Franco Cornara
Music:
Neolithic Ceremonial Headdress
Sound design:
Smider Agency
Archive footage:
Barbara Galimberti
Drone footage:
Marco Cappelletti, Auer Graphics
Sound Assistant:
Aureliano Fontana
Special thanks to:
Lars Johansson, Elena Sánchez Bellot, Carol Salter, Lucy Sandys-Winsch, Laurence Avis
Subtitling Consultants:
Elisa Perego, Tabata Majocchi
Film made during the MA Ethnographic and Documentary Film by Practice
