| Spirit of the Wind | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Ralph Liddle |
| Produced by | Kent Gibson (associate producer) Ralph Liddle (producer) |
| Written by | Ralph Liddle (writer) John Logue (writer) |
| Starring | See below |
| Music by | Will Ackerman |
| Cinematography | John Logue |
| Editing by | Mark Goldblatt |
| Release date(s) | 1979 |
| Running time | 98 minutes (USA) 93 minutes (France) |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
Spirit of the Wind is a 1979 American film directed by Ralph Liddle.
The film is also known as Attla (American alternative title).
Contents |
The movie is a semi-autobiographical story based upon the life of George Attla (born 1933), known as "The Huslia Hustler". Attla was a leading star at the time in the sport of sprint dog sled racing. He won the Fur Rendezvous World Championship race, held in Anchorage, Alaska, 10 times between 1958 and 1982. He also won 8 championships in the Open North American race, held in Fairbanks, Alaska. In addition, despite his mushing experience being geared more towards sprint than distance racing, Attla competed in the inaugural Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1973, placing fifth.
The general theme of the story centered around Attla's rivalry with the other leading sprint competitors of the day. Dr. Roland Lombard and Gareth Wright (the latter the brother of political gadfly Don Wright), and the preparation for an upcoming big race.
Most of the movie was set and filmed in Fairbanks. A number of local actors, including local Alaska Natives, University of Alaska Fairbanks professor Lee Salisbury, and KFAR disc jockey/newscaster Bill Walley, appear in minor roles.