‘The Paradise Paradox’ will show for free at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 26
By Jack Reaney ASSOCIATE EDITOR
We’re all attracted to Big Sky’s picturesque peaks, year-round trails, powder days and sunrise treks. Many people are here to live, work or play in the great outdoors. But incredible surroundings cannot erase deep personal struggles, and a new film explores the unglorified challenges of ski town living.
“The Paradise Paradox” will screen for free at Warren Miller Performing Arts Center on Monday, Feb. 26. Doors open at 6 p.m. before the 6:30 showing. Produced by Podium Pictures in association with Alterra Mountain Company—owner of the Ikon Pass and 17 North American ski destinations—the two-hour film “explores the mental health crisis affecting America’s mountain towns and the innovative solutions being developed in response. By opening up the conversation, the stigmas can start to melt away and real progress can be made for the citizens of these towns and beyond,” according to the film’s website.
The film is centered in Colorado’s Eagle County—home to Vail Ski Resort and Beaver Creek Resort—but explores themes common to any recreation-focused destination community. Those interested in attending can reserve free tickets online.
Pete MacFadyen has spent his whole working life supporting adolescents’ mental and behavioral health. After working as a licensed therapist and serving as founder and executive director of Big Sky Youth Empowerment, he’s now executive director of the Bozeman-based Rieschel Foundation, a private family foundation focused on finding and developing partners to better serve their communities. The Rieschel Foundation helped to produce the film and is covering the costs of the free showing in Big Sky.
“I came to Gallatin County in 1995, and have just watched over the years, [being] in this sector for a while as a licensed therapist and then as a director of a program working with kids… there’s lots of services in our community that are being cut,” MacFadyen told Explore Big Sky.
Everyone struggles, but American society promotes the message that “everything is OK all the time,” MacFadyen said. The Rieschel Foundation chose to support the film with hopes of de-stigmatizing conversations around mental health.
“People should know they’re not going to see a ski movie. This is not like we’re huckin’ backflips or charging big mountain lines. The content is heavy. It’s about the struggles,” MacFadyen said. “But at the same time, it shows a community coming together in response to tragedy and creating a solution that seems like it could be generalizable to other communities.”
MacFadyen believes that with more intentional dialogue around mental health and wellness, there’s enough smart and motivated people in communities like Bozeman and Big Sky to respond proactively, rather than react to tragedy.
The film tells the story of unexpected suicides and moments of crisis among those who seem to be thriving in some aspect of ski or snowboard culture. It also emphasizes the solutions created by the communities affected by tragedy.
“It’s a phenomenon that plays itself out in a lot of mountain towns, where people come together and experience these amazing moments with nature. And the highs are high, and then everyone goes home, and then the lows are really low,” MacFadyen said.
Who should attend
MacFadyen struggled to put his finger on the film’s ideal audience. He listed a few groups: ski patrollers for their frequent exposure to trauma; teachers for their ability to check in on students and set examples around social support; parents who interact with their children and children’s friends; realtors for their role in welcoming people to the community and sharing its culture; and anyone else interested in connecting community members to wellness resources—he pointed to the work being done by the Wellness Navigator Network organized by Be Well Big Sky.
“So it’s kind of a cop-out to say the movie is for everyone. But it kind of is,” MacFadyen said. The content might be too heavy for kids in middle school or younger, he noted.
MacFadyen said that being a member of any community—whether that’s Bozeman, Big Sky, or beyond—comes with a responsibility to engage and support peers. Seeing “The Paradise Paradox” won’t cost any money, it will only cost attendees some time, he said.
“And this is a catalyst,” he said. “The film is designed to make you think, and designed to make you act. And there happens to be a crisis occurring right under our feet. So you can either stick your head in the sand and pretend like it’s not happening, or you can be part of the solution.”
In other venues, including the film’s November premiere in Park City, Utah, MacFadyen said the film revealed a combination of heavy gloom and excitement toward solutions.
“There were a lot of people thinking about how they can be a part of the solution,” he said.
