“Beauty Beneath the Dirt,” a documentary released in part by two Mt. Laurel natives, drew a crowd in Lenape High School’s auditorium for a hometown screening on Saturday, June 30.
Spanning 68 minutes, the film manages to include just the right amount of drama, laughter and dancing.
The three hikers, Kate “Ringleader” Imp, Brandon “Monkey” Imp and Emily “Lightning” Ginger are profiled after the opening credits to set the scene for the thru-hike that took place from March to August 2010.
The Appalachian Trail’s 2,178.3-mile thru-hike begins in Springer Mountain, Ga., and runs to Mt. Katahdin, Maine. It takes approximately five months to complete — and only one of five hikers will reach the end peak from the more than 2,000 people who attempt it each year.
Each hiker receives a trail name and, together, the three were known as “The Traveling Circus.”
Snapshots from the more than 80 hours of footage compiled during the trip flow, illustrating time elapsing.
The map that intermittently is displayed throughout the documentary to show the hikers’ progress was quite helpful.
While slices of the storyline may not turn out as desired or expected, the documentary that avoids acting like a stereotypical storybook is able to connect the dots and pose deeper questions that remain hours after the film reaches its end.
“Beauty” ranges to include times of fierce anger, incredibly personal moments, unadulterated joy and interactions with other hikers, including “Prophet,” who eventually plays an distinctive role, though not exactly in the most positive of ways.
For those thinking of undertaking an adventure outside comfort zones, this is a film to check out.
With careers rooted in law and medicine, the Imp siblings from Mt. Laurel at first glance do not appear to be all that outdoorsy, but they dispel that notion as they push through the elements and challenges as they aim for their goal.
Angles of the camera are able to capture emotions as well as scenic backgrounds, but sometimes come up short in the lighting department. Parked in a tent at one point, the light to dark contrast is reversed, making it difficult to see Kate’s face. Fortunately, dialogue remains solid to keep audiences in check.
The use of the term “real world” is contradicted, adding another layer.
What is the real world, exactly? The day-to-day life of working a 9 to 5, or a transformative break from moving through the ranks?
With raw and true feelings, “Beauty” delivers a tale of chasing uninhibited life.
Learn more about the film at www.beautybeneaththedirt.com and view clips and a trailer at www.youtube.com/user/athike2010.
