Iditarod... A Far Distant Place (2000)

Run Time - 88 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Rebecca Flint Marx

Meaning "a far, distant place" in the Inuit language, Iditarod is also the name of a 1,100 mile dogsled trek over the Alaskan tundra. Director Alice Dungan Bouvrie's documentary centers on the efforts of three competitors: Lynda Plettner, one of nine recorded women to participate in the 1998 competition; Mike Williams, a Yup'ik Eskimo who, having lost six brothers to the effects of alcohol, spends his excess energies promoting a message of sobriety; and Mike Nosko, who spent a decade preparing for the race. Bouvrie focuses on the small details of the race, such as how injured dogs are taken care of, as well as the motivations of the contenders.