Some stories begin with “once upon a time.” This one starts with “do you want to go up in the helicopter?”
An unexpected encounter with a pilot and off I embark on 300 hours of flight over one of the most spectacular and inaccessible places on the planet, in New Zealand.
At first I thought it was going to be a scenic flight. Little did I imagine that I would be witness to an activity unique to New Zealand: the regulated hunting of deer by helicopter.
I cannot believe my eyes. I hover between disgust and fascination. I’m here in this helicopter, 36,000 Km from France, with two men I met by chance in a restaurant, who are shooting deer from a helicopter, surrounded by the incredible scenery of Fiordland.
Camera in hand, I film. I cannot stop myself. At the very least I will have a memento of this remarkable experience. After 3 hours of tracking, slaughtering, recovering carcasses and flying between the steep mountains of Hollyford, we land in the small town of Te Anau. Here, the two men are seen as heroes. It is over a beer in the local pub that I come to understand how very lucky I was to climb aboard this particular helicopter.
“Can I make a film about you?”
“Yes.”
And so the story continues. Just as simply as it began
I decide to stay in Te Anau and make the most of this exceptional opportunity. The conditions for filming are extreme. Four days a week, we take off at 5am to begin hunting. It’s cold, very cold. The helicopter never lands, so I have to jump out to film exterior scenes and cling to its landing skids to climb back in. The pilot warns “don’t trip, or you’ll die.” Indeed, the precipice isn’t far away. But the adrenaline keeps me going as it has kept these two men going for more than 40 years. During the summer, a pilot died in an accident whilst performing the same work. I suddenly realize that I have become conscious of danger. Up until now, everything seemed unreal. I had acted without thinking, without taking the time to consider the consequences.
Before leaving they drop the carcasses in a truck whilst I remain alone in the mountains for more than an hour. It is an unforgettable period of time. It’s difficult to express my emotions, the sensation of feeling so small amidst the endless mountains and yet also of feeling so free.
Really free.
I always carry a lighter and a piece of India rubber in order to start a fire, just in case they do not return because of an accident. The advice: “above all, do not move. Remain in the same place, someone will come and look for you. ”
It’s impossible to recount in detail this episode in my life. 300 hours passed, flying with these men. I am neither for nor against the hunt, which is debatable. I simply witnessed with my camera this amazing activity practised by two men, who shared their passion with me, their passion for their work and also for Fiordland itself.
Romane Tissot