TGR Optics athlete Tami Razinger premiered her short film, "MEZCLADA" last Saturday at Highpoint Cider in Victor, Idaho. This documentary ski film explores the themes of identity, cultural belonging and the transformative power of embracing one's roots. Being born in Argentina but growing up in the United States, Tami experienced the many challenges that came with her mixed identity: living far away from all of her relatives back in Argentina, tossed up about where home really was and a drastic difference between practicing her Hispanic culture in her household but then assimilating into American culture outside of the house. In "MEZCLADA" Tami returns to Argentina after five years to reconnect with her family, her roots and the terrain that first inspired her to become a professional big mountain skier. Tami mentions that while living in Jackson for the last six years, she has found a community of spanish-speakers that has allowed her to nurture her Hispanic heritage and it has been a turning point in her self-discovery journey.
A few words from Tami on her trip to Argentina this past August:
"Since becoming an adult, I've gone back to visit family in Argentina several times but this time was a little different. I have wanted to put together a film about my ties to Argentina and for years it was just an idea that kept evolving until I started to piece it together on paper about two years ago. I knew organizing a film trip to South America would have its challenges but felt in my soul that this was my chance to put it together and so I did.
In mid-August I set out to Bariloche, Argentina to meet up with my filmers who traveled from the East coast. We only had about 9 days to film together and we knew battling the unpredictable Patagonia weather could be tricky. So we made sure to capture everything we could so we could fully tell my story in the most genuine fashion that we could. We dove into my family's history, specifically the role that my grandfather played in establishing roots in Bariloche and how his passion for the mountains and the outdoors was passed down through generations.
Our love of skiing and the mountains is something my cousin Niko and I share quite deeply. In filming this project, we bonded over our missions in the Bariloche backcountry. A highlight was slogging out to Refugio Jakob with a bunch of his friends and enjoying some beautiful days out of service, skiing new-to-me terrain. We also had a day, following some new snow, where we got to ski a playful but consequential zone adjacent to Cerro Catedral and we had such a blast where we were all smiling ear to ear. We also explored some lines outside of Refugio Frey and I totally wish we had more time because there is endless terrain there and the spires are absolutely jaw-dropping.
It was such a fun and productive trip and I came back to Jackson feeling full. Since getting back, we've been hard at work with countless rounds of drafts and revisions for the film. I am proud of where it's at and think it does a great job telling my story. Super stoked to have the world see "MEZCLADA", thanks so much to everyone for the support!!!"
On January 13th, Tami hosted her film night and premiere at Highpoint Cider in Victor Idaho. Her sold out show was a testament to the hard work she put into her film and the event itself. By presenting a select group of films before showing "MEZCLADA", Tami was able to involve the greater community and showcase other local filmmakers and athletes. She hosted an incredible raffle with prizes from her sponsors including Nordica, Flylow, LEKI, Pret, TGR and TGR Optics. Friends helped her get the audience excited by throwing swag and lots of Pit Vipers into the crowd. Tami sure knows how to throw a good party! Congrats on an epic and successful event and stay tuned on any added screenings for "MEZCLADA"!!
About The Author
stash member Teton Gravity Research
It all began with a dream and a little cash scraped together from fishing in Alaska... Since 1995, we've been an action sports media company committed to fueling progression through our ground-breaking films (37 and counting) and online content.