The Last Mountain
By Sally Rubin

When the filmmaker's father died in a mysterious hiking accident, her family filled a box with the facts and information they had about his death, and packed it away. It remained stored in the basement for years, until she felt that she was ready to venture into the darkness and explore the meaning of what had happened, not only to her father, but to herself and to the entire family. The Last Mountain follows the filmmaker's quest to find out what her father was looking for and why he died. Nine years after his disappearance, she and her family return to the mountains, to the chilly site of his death, to explore, really for the first time, their own grief and anger.

The Last Mountain confronts death and its legacy head on. It addresses loss, grieving, the different ways that family members react to death, relations between fathers and daughters, parents and children, (and one daughter's courageous attempt to seek healing by removing the final mountain standing in the way of her recovery.)

23 minutes
© 2004
Purchase $169 VHS / Purchase $189 DVD
Order No. QA-437
ISBN (VHS) 1-57295-437-X
ISBN (DVD) 1-57295-823-5

Reviews
"Rubin's quiet and persistent vision explores more than her father's death, revealing both the psychology of family dynamics and her role as daughter and image-maker. A quietly courageous film that resonates inside the hearts of sons and daughters everywhere." Stephen Parr, San Francisco Media Archive

"Hit me like a Mack truck without brakes on a downhill grade. The filmmaker doesn't succumb to the maudlin; she is able to distinguish true sentiment from sentimentality." Marc Fields, Concord Academy/ Emerson University

Awards & Conference Screenings
American Psychological Association
Finalist, Angelus Awards, Los Angeles
Best Student Documentary, Fargo Film Festival
Wild and Scenic Film Festival
Mill Valley Film Festival
Girl Fest Film Festival
Boulder Adventure Film Festival
Western Psychological Association

Related Films
At My Mother's Breast: The filmmaker's mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all had breast cancer; she grew up knowing that she might be next. An extraordinary portrait of a family of brave, strong women finding unity in facing a terrifying and tragic genetic legacy.

Isn't She Lovely: This moving personal documentary is a brave attempt to understand and come to terms with a childhood profoundly affected by a parent's severe mental illness.

Live and Let Go: Faced with terminal cancer, 76-year-old Sam Niver chooses to die with dignity and on his own terms. This will be a moving and provocative trigger for discussions of assisted suicide.

Carved from the Heart: When native carver Stan Marsden decided to create a totem pole in his son's memory, the project became a focus for the entire community's need to deal with loss, tragedy and healing.

How I Coped When Mommy Died: This inspiring video was created by 13-year-old Brett after losing his mother to breast cancer when he was ten. Original music, animated video, photographs and artwork illustrate the teenager's experiences, thoughts, and feelings, while he takes the viewer on a journey through several years of his life.

Surviving Death: Seven people from a variety of cultural backgrounds speak openly about how they have been affected by the death of someone close to them, and about the ways they have found to survive their loss.

HOME  ||  TITLE INDEX  ||  SUBJECT AREAS  ||  RESOURCES  ||  RETURN TO TOP
CONTACT FANLIGHT  ||  CONTACT WEBTEAM