Les Voyageurs Sans Trace: A Frontier River Adventure in the Pre-War West

FAIN: TD-50564-13

Northwest Documentary Arts & Media (Portland, OR 97204-3561)
Ian McCluskey (Project Director: August 2012 to July 2016)

Development of a film about three French explorers who kayaked 900 miles from Green River, Wyoming, to Lee's Ferry, Arizona, documenting the American West in 1938.

In the summer of 1938, newlyweds Geneviève and Bernard de Colmont and their friend, Antoine de Seynes, set off from France on an adventure to kayak and document the great American West. They launched from Green River, Wyoming, and emerged 900 miles later in Lee's Ferry, Arizona, with their travels vividly documented in 16mm color film. The French Trio's journey offers a unique, previously unseen, window into a historic and cultural turning point for America--a first-hand pioneer experience in the pre-war West, and the beginning of a new era of recreational river runners. In collaboration with humanities scholars, and University of Utah archivists, the project team members seek support for an America's Media Makers Development Grant of $40,000 to fund preparation for a one-hour documentary film, to search out additional archival materials, to conduct further historical research, and collaborate with scholars to refine the humanities content.

Associated Products

Les Voyageurs Sans Trace (Voyagers Without Trace) Script (Script)
Title: Les Voyageurs Sans Trace (Voyagers Without Trace) Script
Writer: Ian McCluskey
Director: Ian McCluskey
Producer: NW Documentary
Abstract: In 1938, three young Parisians arrived in the American West with kayaks, cameras, and beer. They had a bold, even foolhardy plan: be the first to take kayaks down the wild Green and Colorado rivers. They recorded their journey, creating the first adventure film shot in vivid color. But the reels go unseen for 75 years, until filmmaker Ian McCluskey spots a photo of the trio on a roadside marker. His curiosity sends him on a historical treasure hunt, learning to paddle the same waters and searching for clues. What led an explorer, his new bride, and his best friend halfway around the world on the eve of World War II? What secrets do flooded canyons and a weathered journal still hold? Ian traces the trio's wake back to Europe, uncovering unexpected connections to the French Resistance, the advent of the French Riviera, and the possibilities that free- spirited risk-taking offers to all.
Year: 2014
Primary URL: http://www.frenchkayakfilm.com/?attachment_id=1323
Primary URL Description: Official website for the documentary film, Les Voyageurs Sans Trace (Voyagers Without Trace). Includes: synopsis, trailer, photos, supporters, and blog.
Secondary URL: http://nwdocumentary.org
Secondary URL Description: Official website of NW Documentary, a 501c3 arts organization with a mission to create original documentaries of historic significance and artistic excellence, and to teach others to do the same.

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