Yves Auberson, the movie

1000KM ON FOOT TO CHALLENGE PARKINSON'S DISEASE

«See you in 3 months!» With these words, Yves left the shores of Lake Geneva in Montreux to begin his journey on foot. Between July 4 and September 26, 2020, he crossed the northern part of the Swiss Alps from Montreux to Davos across the «Via Alpina path» and returned through the south by taking the «Alpine passes trail», thus completing a loop of more than 1000km.

We took our camera with us and followed him on his journey with the idea of making a documentary film.

A former professional golfer, Yves has been suffering from Parkinson’s disease since the age of 35! While heavily disabled by the symptoms of the disease, he took on this challenge to show that this neurodegenerative disease does not prevent him from being active.

His story touched us deeply and we are committed to making a film that will not only relate his adventure in the Alps but will also show us his 15 years of struggle against Parkinson’s disease that has completely changed his life.

A LITTLE-TALKED ABOUT DISEASE

Parkinson’s is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the world and is generally associated with the elderly. However, there is a worrying increase in the number of cases among young people.

And this is the whole approach of Yves’ challenge. Through his sporting achievement, he wants to bring attention and talk openly about this incurable disease that has affected him for so many years. He wants to make people aware that today the younger generation is also threatened.

Thus, our film will not only present his sporting challenge but will also take us into the daily life of a Parkinson’s patient.

Yves’ journey through the Alps will symbolize his life path and will allow us to tell his personal story, from his athletic childhood, through his successful years as a golf champion, to the day his world collapsed when he was diagnosed. We will try to understand why he was affected at such a young age and how his family and friends supported him as he faced the inexorable progression of symptoms that made him more and more disabled.

A UNIQUE AND MOVING FILM Through this human adventure and this journey through the breathtaking landscapes of the Swiss Alps, «My life is a challenge» is a film whose objective is to allow people to better understand the challenges of Parkinson’s and to understand that this disease is not a sentence in itself.

Yves wanted to share his story to give hope and courage to patients suffering from this disease. In front of our camera, he told us with a lot of emotion his life with Parkinson’s. He explained to us all the suffering he has experienced for so many years, fighting against the symptoms and facing the sometimes hurtful looks of others. He spoke to us without filter about his intimacy and his experience with the disease.

Far from the scientific speeches, sometimes detached from reality, our wish is to create a film that will reach not only the patients directly affected by Parkinson’s but also all the people concerned by this disease.

HELP US RELEASE THE FILM IN CINEMAS

We are currently finishing the production of the film, thanks in particular to the involvement of a cohesive and motivated team that has worked voluntarily up until now, but also thanks to the support of several institutional partners who have enabled us to cover the initial production costs.

The pandemic that we have been experiencing for more than a year now has greatly impacted our various projects. The restrictive measures have stopped the production of our documentaries abroad and the releases have to be postponed.

Only 100% Swiss film projects like this one can be carried out without constraints and we need your help today to make it happen.

HOW CAN YOU HELP US?

The money raised will be used to cover the post-production costs, i.e. the editing of the film, the sound editing, the creation of the original music and the dubbing in German for the screening of the film in German-speaking Switzerland.

We plan to complete this documentary in Spring 2022. Depending on the amount raised, we will be able to reach different levels that will give this film the scope it deserves:

• CHF 32,000.- Initial level: this minimum amount to successfully achieve the crowdfunding campaign will be used to finance the post-production of the film.
• CHF 42,000 - Musical level: the additional amount will allow us to hire a musician to create the original soundtrack of the film. If this level is reached, all contributors will receive a VOD link to watch the film.
• CHF 65,000 - International level: by reaching this ultimate level we will have the necessary budget to create the dubbed German and English versions of the film for an international distribution. If this level is reached, in addition to the VOD link, all contributors will receive a hiking water bottle personalized with the film’s design.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND DON’T HESITATE TO SHARE THE INFORMATION AROUND YOU AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!