THE GREAT ALONE (Greg Kohs, 2015, 80 min) is irresistible: it’s
about dogs, love, fathers and sons, mothers and sons, rebellion, obsession, and one of the
greatest and most cinematically stunning adventures on earth–the Iditarod dog sled race.
“THE GREAT ALONE screening is another perfect opportunity to bring the community together
through film,” said BendFilm Director Todd Looby. “And how many towns can say they have a
four-time racer among their residents? That’s why we’re excited to host Bend’s Rachael Scdoris
to tell us about her Iditarod experiences and her take on the film.”
The Mackey family is Iditarod royalty, not by birth, but by a special kind of Alaskan cussedness.
When Lance Mackey was 8, he watched his father Dick stagger across the finish line to win the
thousand-mile, Anchorage-to-Nome race by one second. The son went on to become a
record-setting Iditarod musher in his own right, far surpassing his father’s achievement. But not
before overcoming a troubled adolescence, substance abuse problems, and a dramatic health
crisis.
Rachael Scdoris knows Lance, and says that THE GREAT ALONE is “a brilliantly produced
documentary that accurately and respectfully depicts the life of a truly wonderful man.”
Director/writer Greg Kohs frames his story with up-close footage of the 2013 Iditarod and pulls
the family portrait together with historic race footage, family photos, and interviews so candid
they seem overheard. Seamless editing and a haunting original score elevate THE GREAT ALONE
beyond the expected adventure-sport documentary to something far more affecting. THE
GREAT ALONE has won six festival awards, including Grand Jury Prize winner for best
documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival.
Also screening will be SLED DOG FAMILY (4 min), produced and directed by University of
Oregon film students Tommy Pittenger, Alisha Jucevic, and Matt Leslie. The short features
Rachael and her family, who will all be on hand for a Q&A at the end of the program.