Category Archives: Videos

Spirit of the Wind

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Helen Hegener

The award-winning 1979 movie Spirit of the Wind is based upon the early life and rise to prominence of the legendary Athabaskan trapper and dog musher George Attla, Jr., Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, DVD & Video, Iditarod, Movies, News & Information, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races, Transportation, Uncategorized, Videos | Tagged George Attla, Iditarod, mushing, Northern Light Media, Spirit of the Wind | 2 Comments

Today the Matanuska Colony barns are an iconic reminder of what has been called the last great pioneering adventure in America. I have been living with, admiring, and photographing these picturesque barns for decades, and in 2012 I turned my longtime interest into a book, a video, and a website. Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Book Reviews, Books, Colony Barns, DVD & Video, Matanuska Colony, Matanuska Valley, News & Information, photographs, Videos | Tagged barns, books, Helen Hegener, Matanuska Colony | Leave a comment

Sled Dog Movies

Posted on December 7, 2019 by Helen Hegener

Last year, 2018, was noted by the Chinese calendar’s zodiac as being the Year of the Dog, but this year, 2019, seems to be the Year of the Sled Dog, as film after film featuring heroic sled dogs is released to movie theaters and home streaming services. There are two movies about the great Serum Run to Nome during the 1925 diphtheria epidemic, one focusing on the champion musher Leonhard Seppala, and the other on his favorite lead dog, Togo. One is an independent production, the other is from the powerhouse film company Disney Studios, but both are absorbing stories, beautifully filmed. Another champion musher, the sprint racing legend George Attla, is the subject of a new PBS documentary, and one of the greatest dog stories of all time is brought to life by a great film legend, Harrison Ford. Pass the popcorn! Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, DVD & Video, Movies, News & Information, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races, Videos | Tagged Attla, Brian Presley, Disney, George Attla, Harrison Ford, Huslia, Joe Bifelt, Leonhard Seppala, Nenana, Nome, Serum Run, Siberian huskies, sled dogs, The Call of the Wild, The Great Alaskan Race, Togo | Leave a comment

Dog Gone Addiction

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Helen Hegener

The international award-winning film by Becky Bristow, Dog Gone Addiction, follows three women as they test their personal limits, driving their dog teams through record cold temperatures and over icy mountain passes in the 2007 Yukon Quest, a 1,000-mile sled dog race from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory to Fairbanks, Alaska. The film focuses on a young Canadian mother, Michelle Phillips; Agata Franczak, a 48-year-old Polish adventurer; and Kelley Griffin, a veteran Alaskan musher. Continue reading →