CLIMBER BLOG: Bill Winters

Why I joined SOTSK

I got involved as a DP for SOTSK through my friend Justin Wilkes who was one of the executive producers of the MTV documentary for @radical.media. Justin and I went to film school together and he knew that I am a lover of the outdoors as well as an avid mountain biker and cinematographer. This project is very unique because it combines all of my passions. I expected it to be difficult from both a physical and technical standpoint, but I never expected to learn just how dire the clean water situation is in Africa. I always knew the water situation in Africa was problematic, but actually going to villages where women have to walk 6 hours a day to get to a water source was absolutely shocking. Here in America we take it for granted that we have clean water endlessly flowing from our sinks and showers. It was an eye opening experience that I want to share with people back home through cinematography. The more people that are aware of this problem, the better chance we have of solving it.  

- Bill Winters

Bill’s local papers — LoHud.com & The Harrison Report — wrote articles about him as well.

CLIMBER BLOG: Michael Bonfiglio

Why I joined SOTSK

I ended up on Kilimanjaro after Kenna, the SOTSK team, and MTV contacted @radical.media, the company I work for, to create a film to document the expedition. I’d never climbed a mountain before, but after hearing about the project, I knew that whether I made it to the top or not, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.

Climbing Kilimanjaro while making a film about the experience at the same time was unbelievably challenging (and given the ridiculously tight schedule we had for both shooting and editing, some might say it was insane). At any given time on the mountain, at least one of us on the film crew was sick and/or miserable, but everyone on our team showed an incredible amount of heart and dedication, maintaining great attitudes and capturing beautiful footage no matter what Kilimanjaro threw our way.

The climbers were extraordinary as well, allowing us complete access to their experiences and embracing us fully as members of their team. No matter how difficult things got, no one ever got irritated or scared about being filmed – even when they knew full well that what we were shooting was quite different from the polished images their fans are accustomed to seeing.

Without the incredible contributions and talents of any individual member of the team, our whole endeavor might have been an utter failure. Instead, we worked together and created something that we are all truly proud to share with the world. One of the things we all took away from this climb is that we can only accomplish so much as individuals, but when we work together anything is possible. This couldn’t be truer of the filmmaking experience. We hope that everyone who sees see the documentary “Summit on the Summit” gets as much out of our adventure as we did.

- Michael Bonfiglio

Director, “Summit on the Summit” Documentary