In October 2006, Maud Fontenoy left La Reunion to sail around the world “against the tide”, against the winds and mainstream currents.
An adventure that would take her beyond her limitations, feeding her innate desire to give hope to others. The aim of her trip was not a new world record but to defend her intrinsic values. Over 20 000 children made the trip with her in her thoughts as she surpassed her limits.
Maud shares with us her adventure, her family’s support and her extraordinary complicity with the children of the Meaux suburbs.

"Nomads’ Land Kirghizstan"
With Christophe Cousin, Directed by Laurent Sbasnick - A GEDEON Programmes - 2007 - 52 min

Kirghizstan is a minute republic in Central Asia wedged between the Chinese giant, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. This mountainous country, at the crossroads of the legendary “Silk Route”, also has many grassy plains and is home to the nomadic Kirghiz tribe. Christophe unveils the way in which the Kirghiz have preserved their nomadic way of life despite the constraints of time and modernisation. Travelling through Soviet shepherds’ villages and along astonishing mountain passages our explorer revisits the symbols of the nomadic culture such as the felted cloth tent, horsemen and eagle hunting.
As he arrives on the high pastures of the Mount Celeste, Christophe joins the daily life of the traditional shepherds who have pitched their felted cloth tent and settled in these remote high valleys.

"Spectacles d’autres mondes"
Director:Valérian Mazataud
Produced by: Un oeil sur le monde
52min 2006
Web site

Val and Seb travelled the world on their bikes between October 2002 and February 2004. Astride their faithful cycles, Bino and Ganesha, the pedalled their way over 21 000km, across 28 countries covering 5 continents.
During their trek they performed their free clown act in hospitals, orphanages and old people’s homes. On their return to France they travelled throughout France putting on their photographic exhibition and slide show, published an anthology of their voyage and produced a film. Two year’s work was required to edit the documentary "Spectacles d’Autres Mondes", which literally transports you alongside these clowns as they travel the pathways of the world.

Their day-to-day life, performances, scenery, unforgettable meals, strange encounters … Experience one of the most incredible adventures as if you were there!

"3 peaks 3 weeks for the people of Africa"
Original version with French subtitles
Director: David d’Angelo Serac Films USA,
Producer: Michael Brown - 52 min - 2007
Web site

While travelling through Africa, Chloe Chick, a native Australian, witnessed extraordinary hardship and wanted to help. Chloe invited ten of her most capable friends from around the world and together they raised $300,000 over a two year period. In order to create excitement around their fund-raising efforts the women accepted a challenge: Climb three of Africa's highest peaks in just three weeks.

Now it is time to follow through, the women have little previous climbing experience as they set out to attempt Mount Kenya, Mount Meru, and Mount Kilimanjaro. Each peak they climb will represent a key issue affecting Africa: environmental degradation, lack of education and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Each of the women has paid their own way so that all funds raised can go directly to the three causes. Between each peak they also visit, learn about and become passionate about their chosen organisations.

The birth of a family along the “Saint-Jacques de Compostelle” Way.
Winter 2004: 1600 kilometres on foot in the warmth of her mother’s womb.
Summer 2005: 900 kilometres on the back of a donkey.
The astonishing tale of Ondine’s voyage, a small girl travelling to Saint Jacques with her tribe comprised of humans and animals.
From Brittany to Spain via the banks of the Loire River and the beaches of Galice, "The travelling child" discovers the world.
Through these encounters, songs and scenery this emotional, moving family road-movie unveils the journey along the Compostelle way, which is both intimate and comprehensive and incites all of us to take to the road …

"North"
Product by Peter Pow Production and directed by Peter Charaf. 2006 / 52 min
Web site

Road trip in Lapland.
The best European skiers and snowboarders of the moment travel through the northern territories of Scandinavia on snow scooters, in helicopters and by boat in search of unforgettable gullies. 10 000 adventure-filled kilometres in Father Christmas country for Cyril Néri, Olivier Meynet, Marja Persson, Ruth Leisibach, (all 4 winners of Verbier’s “Xtreme”), Polo de Le Rue (Olympic medallist), Fred Serin, Martin Winkler and Mathieu Nicod.

"Baffin, childrens island "
Director: Seven Doc / Producer: Sam Beaugey
40 min 2007
Web site
photos credit : David Ravanel

Baffin Island : -27°c, a land of ice lost between Greenland and the Canadian continent. Six firiends set out to discover these immence fjords with the aim of opening up a new climbing route and base-jump. Getting around is not an empty word. Such a vast expanse means that everything is possible: kite flying, parasailing, skiing ...
The story commences in a small Inuit village with 800 inhabiltants of which 400 are under 16 years of age. A reappraisal of ecological values become inevitable faced with the realities of this Nunavut province.
Welcome to Children’s Island.

"Vertical desert "
Director : Daniel du Lac
Producer :Altisphère 48 min / 2006
Web site 1
Web site 2

Sun, unbearable heat, eyes full of sand, sweat incessantly dripping from the body … Mali has enough to break even the strongest of wills. The « Haut Gourma » is comprised of a unique, modern climbing bowl overflowing with routes to open and climb. Lead climber, Daniel du Lac, heads a Sahelian ascension riddled with encounters, discoveries, wide-open spaces and exploits.

"Hors du temps"
Director: Florence Tran / Coproduction : Zed et Arte
2006 52 min
Web site

In 1962, Michel Siffre cut himself off from the outside world, with no record of time, for two months in a natural gorge. His experience revealed the existence of a biological time keeping mechanism within the human body and this gave birth to a new science known as chronobiology or biorhythmology. He agrees to return to the same gorge to explain how isolation and the absence of any timekeeping equipment influences the human body cycles and its mental state.

"On the trail of Paul du Chaillu"
Production B&LH FAGE - 60 min / 2007
Web site

Paul Belloni Du Chaillu (1831-1903) was the first explorer to journey to inland Gabon (from 1855 to 1859). A self-taught man he was a naturalist, anthropologist, linguistic scientist, geographer …
He was the author of many unique descriptions of numerous ethnic groups of the future Gabon well before its colonisation. He was famous for being the first gorilla hunter and the first observer of this “terrible” monkey’s behaviour. Subjected to considerable jealousy and doubts he undertook a second voyage (1863-1865) armed with scientific instruments for map making. He travelled even further towards the east until a misfortunate accident forced this intrepid lone explorer to turn back.
A French Gabonese team of various specialists set off to follow the route of this second voyage lead by linguistic scientist Jean-Marie Hombert (CNRS, DDL Lyon). Using modern-day scientific knowledge they studied and updated the information bequeathed by du Chaillu. This extraordianary pioneer, who created his own destiny, was very famous in America and Europe but has since disappeared into an unjustified oblivion.

Dominique Simonneau sailed from Brittany to the Artic continent. Her companion, Pascal Hémon, wants to traverse the polar ice cap unassisted. Their goal: to meet in Thulé at the northern most point of the polar ice cap.
Both expeditions experience their fair share of emotions: as the ground expedition starts out over the ice floe, the sailboat imprisoned by the ice at Cap Farevel etc
For one it means an ice cold, total isolation on Inlandsis, devoid of any animal or plant life; for the other its life in a team, discovering fascinating fauna and landscapes, the unique colours of the Artic and encounters with the Inuit communities.
This is the tale of a human adventure: a film promoting the two expedition leaders’ shared devotion to fundamental values. It’s a personal, intimate production featuring above all two fervently yearned for polar and sea borne exhibitions undertaken with no desire for records, competition or to seek out an absolute utopia.