The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
International hit can make film-maker hometown hero
Mike’s movie to be aired in Eden Court Theatre
He shouldn’t be nervous, but he is.
Thousands of people in China, America and Canada have already seen and enjoyed Divided, an acclaimed film Mike Webster, from Inverness, co-directed and produced with adventure cyclists Lee Craigie and Rickie Cotter.
But on Friday February 1, his movie is being shown in the main auditorium of Eden Court Theatre – a highlight of the Banff Mountain Festival World Tour which is making its 10th anniversary visit to Inverness.
Webster, 33, is Eden Court’s own arts practitioner and filmmaker, which is why he admits to being a tad nervous about screening the movie not only in his home town, but also where he works.
He said: “The film has already been seen in different countries by thousands of people and the feedback has always been great.
“It’s interesting because, while I’m really excited about it being shown in Inverness, there’s an element of nerves as well.”
Divided tells the story of adventure cyclists Rickie Cotter and Lee Craigie who – in 2017 – rode the Tour Divide, an iconic 2,745-mile self-supported mountain bike race.
Webster said: “They’d undertaken an amazing journey along this iconic bike route which starts in Canada, goes all the way through the United States and finishes at the Mexican border and recorded it using a Go Pro and an iPhone.”
They contacted Webster, as they knew he’d made a film with Jenny Graham, the Inverness cyclist who broke the world women’s record for circumnavigating the globe by bike, unsupported.
Webster, who has been making films since he was at school, said: “They’d compiled a huge amount
“The film has already been seen in different countries”
of footage and Lee had a story she wanted to tell.
“Lee, Rickie and I sat for an hour looking at the footage and working out how to tell the story from the material they had collected.”
The film premiered in London last year, and Webster assumed that was the end of it.
But he said: “Then I got an email from the Banff Film Festival saying the film had been included on the competition list and inviting me to go to Banff, Canada.”
The festival is regarded as the most prestigious adventure film festival in the world and it had been a long-held dream of Webster to be involved with it.
He added: “We went to Banff in November and didn’t win. It didn’t matter, as the films are of such a high calibre.”
Webster, who got into climbing in 2010 and since then has filmed documentaries in Morocco and Peru and filmed climbing all over Scotland, said it was an honour to be included, adding: “While in Banff, I learned they were taking Divided on tour to China and it has since toured the US as well as some venues in Britain.
“But there’s something exciting about seeing it screen on my home turf.”
He added: “I like mountains and I like movies and it was about eight years ago I realised I could smash my two favourite things together – climbing and filming.
“Once you get into adventure film-making you see a world of possibilities around you.”
Divided went on to win Best Adventure Sports Film at the Kendal Mountain Festival.
The Banff Mountain World Festival World Tour is a hugely popular event which is expected to sell out on both nights.