Focusing on the theme of #Sports in 2025, Odyssey returns for the 5th edition (15-30 September).
The festival will open with Hong Kong’s latest box-office hit “Four Trails” on Monday 15 September evening at the Everyman Cinema in Broadgate, London.
Four Trails tells the incredible story of one of Hong Kong’s least known adventure challenges.
Today, to be considered a ‘Survivor’ you must complete the distance in 72 hours, but to be deemed a ‘Finisher’, you only have 60 hours. To make matters worse, no trekking poles are permitted, no music devices are allowed and support on the trail is strictly prohibited. On average 15-25 runners take on the challenge a year and as of today, the success rate is only 6%.
In 2021 only former ‘Finishers’ and ‘Survivors’ were invited back. This put a unique spin on the event as runners challenged themselves to break new boundaries. Past ‘Survivors’ aimed to become ‘Finishers’. Strong ‘Finishers’ wanted to be the first to break the impossible 50 hour barrier. And the rest just wandered if they could slog though another 72 hours of sleep deprived torture.
The origin of the Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge starts with a German ex-pat called Andre Blumberg. Faced with a looming mid-life crisis, Andre had been living the work hard play hard lifestyle for too long. Overweight and with increasing cholesterol levels, Andre had a very hard decision to make. Buy a high-end sports car and have an affair or pick up a pair of trainers and get in shape.
“I was about to turn 40 years old and was well over 100 kilograms (220 pounds) in weight. The doctor said he needed to put me on cholesterol-lowering medication,” said Blumberg. Overnight, Blumberg stopped drinking alcohol, radically changed his diet, and booked a week-long cleanse retreat in Northern Thailand to celebrate entering his fifth decade.
Two years later, and now an accomplished trail-runner, Andre challenged himself to run all four of Hong Kong’s ultra distance trails in just four days. At the time, a feat they said was impossible.
Robin Lee is a cinematographer, director and DP born and raised in Hong Kong. He has worked in the adventure sport industry for over 10 years working on award winning ski films with Level 1 Productions and collaborating on projects with major industry leaders such as The North Face and Hoka One One.
After many years of short films and commercial work, Four Trails is Robin’s first feature length film.
The documentary earned Robin Lee the prize for best new director and a nomination for best film editing swept at the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards. It also received a special award from the Hong Kong Film Directors Guild executive committee, film of merit from the Hong Kong Film Critics Society, and the audience award at the 21st Hong Kong Asian Film Festival.
Odyssey 2025 will open with a screening of “Four Trails” and a post-screening Q&As with the director in person on Monday evening, 15 September at Everyman Cinema in Broadgate, London.
