THE ROAD TO SPARTA is a short film about four individuals, including the great Dean Karnazes, running the 2014 Spartathlon, a 246 kilometre ultra-marathon between Athens and Sparta.
It will not, however, be a straightforward sports documentary; it is more of an artumentary where sport meets history meets music, a film of brain, brawn and beauty.
Through Dean Karnazes, THE ROAD TO SPARTA will look at the history of the race which dates back to 490BC and the ancient Greek runner Pheidippides while the Greek band Old House Playground will be composing an original score for the film.
Greek Olympic legend Ioannis Melissanidis, now an actor, has also thrown his weight behind the film. He will be the voice of Herodotus.
My name is Barney Spender and I need your support in raising the 15 thousand euros I need to make THE ROAD TO SPARTA.
THE LURE OF THE SPARTATHLON
Thanks for taking the time to look at my plans for THE ROAD TO SPARTA.
I have been a sports journalist since 1988. During that time I have covered plenty of major events, none bigger than the Olympic Games which took me to Greece in 2004. I was meant to be there for three months: I stayed for five years.
During that time, I discovered the Spartathlon and rediscovered my love for elite sport in its purest sense.
There is no financial reward for winning or competing in the Spartathlon. The runners are motivated instead by the desire to push themselves beyond the safe parameters that most of us tend to build around ourselves.
Some will see them as completely mad; they see themselves as explorers, seeking to find what lies beyond their own perceived physical and mental limitations.
I want to examine those men and women, by watching them through the race and interviewing them before, during and after the race, to see how their minds and bodies react to the intense pressure of attempting to complete the course within the 36-hour time limit.
HISTORY
The race has something that other Ultramarathons don't have - history.
Today's runners are following in the path of Pheidippides. He was the runner sent by the Athenians to Sparta in 490BC in a bid to raise reinforcements to fight the mighty Persian army in what was to be the Battle of Marathon. According to the historian Herodotus, he arrived in Sparta "the next day".
In 1982, an RAF officer John Foden set out to see if that was possible. He and two colleagues succeeded and the Spartathlon was born the following year.
The race ends in Sparta when the runners touch the feet of the statue of Leonidas, the Spartan leader who found immortality with the 300 at Thermopylae ten years after the Battle of Marathon.
THE RUNNERS
We have chosen four runners from different backgrounds and with different ultra experience. All of whom, though, connect to the ancient tale of Pheidippides and want to challenge their own limits to see whether they can match run and become a part of the legend;
Dean Karnazes; perhaps the best-known ultra-marathoner in the world. He has won Badwater and many other races and is currently writing a book about Pheidippides. Running his first Spartathlon, he is also attempting to emulate Pheidippides by cutting out the food and nutrient drinks available to modern runners and sticking to the kind of diet that Pheidippides might have had in 490BC. "It's a little scary but I am training like hell and looking forward to it. See you in Greece." (You can find out more about him here).
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Mark Woolley; a gnarly mountaineer who has broken both legs took up running as a sideshow. Recently ran 318 kilometres of the 333k High through the Himalayas before being forced out. Has recovered well and is raring to run his sixth Spartathlon. "It is totally addictive. It is a high voltage adrenalin shot directly into your veins and I just can't put it down. The feeling of kissing that statue (Leonidas) at the end is just out of this world." He has finished three times, earning the famous Pheidippides tattoo. He ought to do it again.
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Angela Terzi; flying the flag for Greece, the Athenian nurse has completed a number of ultras but is attempting the Spartathlon for the first time. Not many crack it at the first attempt. "My only fear is that of a sudden injury during
the race which will force me to stop. If that doesn’t happen, even on my knees
I will try to finish! Like Dean Karnazis says: 'If I can’t run, I will walk. If
I can’t walk, I will crawl.'"
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Rob Pinnington; has twice attempted the Spartathlon but has yet to finish. His 2013 bid ended at the 145k mark. He now wonders if he has the mental strength to complete the race and arrive in Sparta.
"Last year I neglected my head. I won't make that mistake again this time. I want to complete the Spartathlon because it is a true
test of a runner, indeed a man. If you
can do this you can do anything."
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For the rest of the team scroll down.
WHO WILL SEE THE FILM?
THE ROAD TO SPARTA is being made as a stand alone film, duration 30 minutes. It is aimed at the Festival market and we are already looking at the Thessaloniki Film Festival as well as the Greek film festivals in New York and Los Angeles. We are also looking at potential television sales.
WHAT WE NEED
This is an entirely independent film.
Roddy Gibson and Barney Spender have worked out a budget of 12 thousand pounds (that is 15 thousand euros/20 thousand US dollars) to complete the film from the shooting to the editing to making sure that Clive Martin and Old House Playground get into a decent studio to make the soundtrack.
This budget covers the logistical practicalities of flights, sustenance, car hire, petrol, hotels, phones, camera hire in Athens, Go-Pro cameras for the runners, drones for aerial filming, editing, music and initial marketing.
Remember we have four runners who will be strung out along the road over the course of 36 hours - that means a minimum of four crews on the go at any one time.
The more you contribute, the more we can do in terms of the shoot and the edit; for example, can we hire drones for aerial camerawork for two days rather than one?
If we raise less than the target, then we shall still make THE ROAD TO SPARTA, although we will obviously have to cut some corners in so doing.
Everyone involved in the making in the film is working on an expenses only basis.
If we raise more than the target, we can also put extra money into post-production and into marketing the film and the music once it is completed.
To make the best possible film, we need your help.
THE REWARDS
And for that help we obviously want to give you something back in return, a little thank you for having faith in our vision.
The rewards stretch from a thank you on THE ROAD TO SPARTA Facebook page to Executive Producer status with a credit on the film.
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There will be downloads of the soundtrack and the movie; tee-shirts and signed posters;
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP
If you have a company you can help us in a number of ways by coming in as a Partner. Directly, this could involve:
- AIRLINES: to provide flights to and from Greece for those of the crew who are coming from overseas
- HOTELS: for the crew for the duration of the shoot
- CAR HIRE: we need several cars over the course of the race to track the four runners
- MOBILE PHONES: we need a number of phones in Greece to help communications between the teams
- PRINTERS: we need to print posters and tee-shirts; can you help?
- RECORDING STUDIO: to enable Clive and Old House Playground make the soundtrack
We are also inviting other companies to come in as sponsors.
Every company that joins the quest will receive a credit on the film.
- VOLUNTEERS: We would love to hear from film students (from Greece or beyond) who are interested in helping as crew. We also need drivers and other logistics staff for the duration of the race.
- MEDIA: One of the most effective ways of attracting people to the film is through the media. If you work in the media and can find some space for The Road to Sparta, it would be a great help. Director Barney Spender is available for interview.
For any of these it is best to contact us directly via THE ROAD TO SPARTA Facebook page
SHARE THE MESSAGE
One thing we would ask of everyone who visits this page, whether you can contribute or not, is to share it.
Social media is a powerful tool; if you share this page on Facebook, Twitter or anywhere else then you may help us find another potential donor.
Indiegogo has a plethora of share tools so it couldn't be easier.
THE REST OF THE TEAM
Producer/director: Barney Spender - began his working life as an actor before falling into sports commentary and journalism (someone handed him a microphone and that was it). Harking back to his theatrical roots he insists that THE ROAD TO SPARTA will not be a documentary but an artumentary. Hooked on the Spartathlon since moving to Greece for the 2004 Olympics. Currently based in Paris and working for Eurosport. (You can read more about him at www.barneyspender.com)
Director of Photography: Roddy Gibson - London-based Irish filmmaker whose first student film Wednesday featured a very young Barney Spender. Since then he has produced and directed scores of short films. For 20 years he ran his own video production company. He now heads the film department at Middlesex University in London.
On-line producer Greece: Helen Skopis - Athens-based Greek-American who produces news features for Al Jazeera and other international tv companies. Perhaps the greatest fixer in the Hellenic world, Helen also hosts a news show for Athens International Radio.
Artistic consultant: Ioannis Melissanidis - He was just 18 when he won gold in gymnastics at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Now an actor, Ioannis is the artistic consultant on the team and will provide voiceover for Herodotus.
Musical director: Clive Martin - Athens-based producer who discovered a number of British bands such as Reef and Puressence and later produced other well-known bands such as Gypsy Kings, Stereophonics, Les Negresses Verts and Yousoun'dor. He engineered the music for the film The Last Emperor which won David Byrne an Oscar.
The band: Old House Playground - a Greek band based in Manchester, OHP consists of Tryfon Lazos, Andreas Venetantes and Daroll Wheatley. Not your tradition Greek bazouki but a smoky, gritty sound. You can learn more about them here.
JOIN US ALL IN THE QUEST TO MAKE THE FINISH LINE IN SPARTA
