In an era where generative artificial intelligence (AI) can produce sentences in seconds, how does an author who has spent years researching and meeting people to document a single life view the value of writing?
The 11th Ulsan Ulju World Mountain Film Festival will present a program highlighting 'Human Records' featuring Bernadette McDonald, the Canadian mountain writer and this year's Ulsan Ulju Mountain Culture Award (UMCA) recipient.
The festival announced that on September 19 at 10 a.m. in Theater 2 of the Alps Cinema, McDonald will participate in a special talk titled 'The Courage of the First Sentence: A Mountain Writer Discusses the Beginning and Completion of Writing in the AI Era.'
This program aims to attract not only audiences familiar with mountain culture but also those interested in writing, travel, and documentation.
McDonald is regarded as more than just a writer in the global mountain culture.
She previously served as the director of the Banff Mountain Film Festival and was the inaugural vice president of the Banff Centre's mountain culture department. Under her leadership, the Banff Mountain Film Festival expanded its focus from film to include literature, photography, and environmental and cultural issues, evolving into a global mountain culture program that now tours over 45 countries across seven continents.
As an author, she has documented the stories of people often overshadowed by climbing successes.
In her notable work 'Freedom Climbers' and other publications, she has chronicled the climbing histories of Polish and Slovenian mountaineers. Her recent book, 'Alpine Rising,' highlights local climbers such as Sherpas and Baltis, who have been relatively overlooked in the early history of Himalayan climbing. The Ulsan Ulju World Mountain Film Festival cites this expansion of documentation as a key reason for her selection as this year's UMCA awardee.
McDonald has received multiple accolades, including the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature and the Banff Mountain Book Festival Award. In 2011, she was honored with the highest distinction in mountain literature by the American Alpine Club.
During the special talk on the 19th, she will connect her experiences to writing in the AI era.
She plans to share insights on the lengthy process of researching materials and interviewing subjects for a book, her approach to starting her sentences, and the significance of human documentation that technology cannot replicate.
Additional programs for mountain enthusiasts will follow.
On September 20 at 10 a.m. in Theater 2 of the Alps Cinema, McDonald will join world-renowned alpinist Silvo Karo, who is a judge for this year's international competition. They will screen a documentary based on McDonald's book 'Warriors of the Mountain' and engage in a discussion about Slovenian mountain history.
An exhibition showcasing McDonald's life and works will be held at the Coa Gallery from September 1 to 22. A book talk centered on her recent work 'Heroes of the Rising Himalayas' is also scheduled for September 20 at 2 p.m.
A festival representative stated, "This year's UMCA program is designed to allow not only mountain experts but also modern individuals living in the AI era to experience the power of 'human analog challenges and records.' We hope that through Bernadette McDonald's shared experiences and wisdom, attendees will reflect on overlooked moments in life and take time to document them in a single sentence."
The 11th Ulsan Ulju World Mountain Film Festival will take place from September 18 to 22 at the Yeongnam Alps Complex Welcome Center in Ulju County.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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