Documentary films are rooted in some version of reality, and the fantasy genre is a categorical departure from that reality. Our aim was to capture the imagination and wonder of a fantasy film through the more-or-less objective medium of documentary.

Georgia thrives in this sort of genre-bending format. They understand what they want from the genre, jettison the aspects that don’t fit, and add in their own vision. As a cinematographer, it’s an intriguing way to work: Which storytelling devices from each genre amplify each other, and which get in the way? How can we break some of the rules and get away with it?

It was important to us to establish an intentional and cinematic visual language, to make the film feel like a tale of old. We committed ourselves to shooting with a heavier lens, glued to a tripod, and to be deliberate with how we composed and covered each scene. To keep the moments authentic, we intervened with the subjects as little as possible.

For all of the challenges that it posed, the process was a ton of fun. Sure, the camera build and the scene coverage were a little more complicated than they could’ve been. But we were enjoying ourselves we worked, and the best moments happened naturally. I think that’s the sort of thing the audience can feel when they watch the final film.

We met the majority of our subjects on the trail. This also meant that a lot of the interviews were conducted outside and on the fly. It can be tricky for light and sound, but there’s a unique value to speaking with the subjects while they’re in their element.