Film focuses on joy, fears of motherhood in dream job
Inspired by the ups and downs of motherhood, an acclaimed Wānaka skier tells her story of being pregnant while working as a mountain guide.
Dear Superhero, directed by Jase Hancox and Corinna Halloran, is one of the many films set to premiere in the upcoming New Zealand Mountain Film Festival in Wānaka.
The 17-minute film follows the story of Janina Kuzma, a Wānaka skier and mountain guide who competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics and was later named Central Otago Sportswoman of the Year for her achievements.
Ms Kuzma found out she was pregnant in April last year, something that brought her joy as she had looked forward to starting a family.
This joy was soon followed by fear as she was faced with the reality of telling co-workers the life-changing news and juggling motherhood and her dream job.
As a contract mountain guide, she worked on skifields across the Southern Lakes region and even some in North America.
The job can be seen as physically dangerous, and Ms Kuzma was anxious her co-workers would not think she could work during her pregnancy.
"It can be a very male-dominated field," she said.
"So I just hid my pregnancy as long as I could, just because of the fear of feeling like they thought I shouldn't be in the mountains guiding."
For six months, no-one at work knew Ms Kuzma was pregnant.
When she finally told her team, she was met with a wave of support and everyone had been really happy for her.
She admitted that her feelings had come from a fear of being perceived differently in a physically demanding job.
It was this lingering concern that encouraged her to reach out to her sponsors at North Face and suggest the film idea even before she got pregnant.
Wānaka director Jase Hancox jumped on board but found it difficult at at first to direct the film on his own.
As a father of two, he said he was unable to relate to Ms Kuzma's story and found it helpful to bring on American director Corinna Halloran.
Ms Kuzma worked with the film directors and was also able to invite Canadian snowboarder and mother Leanne Pelosi and Swedish skier and doula Evelina Nilsson to be part of the film.
The storyline focuses on the experiences of women in the snow sport industry as they work through raising families and not giving up on their life-long passions.
"It's an exploration of the power and the complexity of motherhood and just what it takes while chasing my dreams in the mountains," Ms Kuzma said.
She hoped the film spoke to all women, not just athletes, who might feel the pressures of raising a family and following their ambitions.
The film is set to premier on Saturday, June 21, during the 2025 New Zealand Mountain Film and Book Festival in Wānaka.
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