Snow Warrior

In the midst of an Edmonton deep-freeze, Mariah heads out. Every day, before dawn, while everyone else is sound asleep, she gets ready for her daily deliveries. Mariah is a bike courier, one of a handful of winter cycling snow warriors on Edmonton’s busy downtown streets.

Navigating a beautiful yet dangerous landscape, she shares ice-covered roads with cars and trucks. As the weather changes and the chill intensifies, flesh freezes and the challenges multiply.

Racing through snow and weaving through traffic, Mariah proves her strength, dedication, and capacity for joy. Extreme temperatures, violent winds, slippery roads and snowstorms do not stop a snow warrior.

Returning home in the dark, she dreams of another day doing battle with the elements. She loves her job.

Directed by Frederick Kroetsch and Kurt Spenrath, Snow Warrior is a love letter to winter, revelling in the embrace of the ghostly white shroud that defines the character of the people of the North.

Directed by Frederick Kroetsch and Kurt Spenrath – 2018 | 8 min

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[ ♪ ] [ Snow Crunching Underfoot ] [ Water Gurgling ] )) They say you aren’t a real
bike courier in Edmonton until you do a couple winters. )) Voice on radio: Hey, Mariah,
I don’t know if you can hear me. Check your device. )) This time of year,
there’s barely more than seven hours of daylight. The temperature can hit -40. The morning twilight
starts just after eight. )) [ Inaudible Speech
From Radio ] [ Traffic Rushing By ] )) Hi!
)) How’s it going? )) Good. Can I get a double espresso? )) Double, sure. )) And I got a points card.
)) Sure. 2.63. [ Background Chatter ] [ Laughter ] )) So it’s pretty cold out. )) Oh, my God, is it? )) You know what? )) The guy
ploughed me with snow. I had to take some
anger out on my pedals. I don’t know.
I think cars are probably like, “Those stupid
cyclists on the road. “What the heck are
they doing out there?” )) Yeah. )) Well I don’t
know, like, in the cold, I don’t know about you guys,
but do you feel it in your knees? In a city of a million people,
there are less than 20 of us. )) Away team to enterprise. )) There are guys in their
fifties still doing this. This can be a career for life. Take Gerry. 53. He has a daughter around my age. )) Hi, Gerald. How’s– how’s the day? )) I’m in the elevator with
her, and you know what she says? )) What? )) She looks at me,
and she goes– she goes, “Just get out of the elevator. “You people that ride
in this weather are “disgusting and despicable.” That’s what she said. )) She said that? )) Yeah. )) Voice on radio:
Mariah, check your phone. There’s an order coming up,
there’s six minutes left on it. Please check your phone. )) Yeah. Check. When I had long hair,
I was treated pretty good. Drivers gave me space. And as a female courier,
my friends treated me golden. But when I cut my hair, and
put on baggy winter clothes, and looked like a dude,
I noticed I was treated differently. )) Voice on radio:
Where are you? )) Voice on radio:
Outside getting [ Inaudible ] )) Voice on radio: Hey, Mariah. )) Yeah. Headed into Manulife
to drop a package, then I’m headed over to
Oxford to drop an Emery. The worst kind of
snow is brown sugar. I hate it. Whoa! Ahh! Ahh. [ Snow Crunching Under Tires ] )) Ugh! Ah. Most couriers ride fixed gear. They’re the easiest to maintain
because you don’t don’t have to worry about brakes and railers. [ Metal Lock Clammering ] [ Elevator Dings ] )) People hate us. They hate when
we’re on the roads, they hate us when
we’re on the sidewalks. Drivers tend to not think
about anyone but themselves. [ Car Horn Honks ] [ Car Horn Blares ] )) Come on, cleats.
Get in there. [ Bus Engine Whirs ] )) Why do we do it? When it’s -40, and
the wind is blowing, and we are cranky and cold? Why do we do it? [ Whirring ]