The Passage

In 1974, my 20-year-old parents and uncle Andy built their own canoes, launched them into the Pacific, and became some the first people in modern history to canoe from Washington to Alaska up the Inside Passage. My brother and I grew up paddling those wooden canoes in the Virginia rivers and the 1974 adventure became legend in our family - shaping who we’ve become, how we view our parents, and how our parents view themselves. In the summer of 2017, we renovated those canoes and with our aging parents completed their 1974 journey. The Passage is a story about growing up, growing old, and the wild places that define us.

Directed, filmed, and edited by
NATE DAPPEN

Written by
NATE DAPPEN & NEIL LOSIN

Production Manager
KORI PRICE

Additional Photography
KYLE McCBURNIE
ELI SPIEGEL
BEN DAPPEN
ALAN DAPPEN
ANDY DAPPEN
JIMMY DAPPEN
STEVEN CUMMINGS
STEER FILMS

Historic Photographs by
ALAN DAPPEN
ANDY DAPPEN
SARA SCHERR
RICK WILSON
JAN DAPPEN

Animations by
ROOT HOUSE
HEATHER DAPPEN

Color by
DC COLOR | COLORIST ROBBIE CARMAN

Sound Design & Mix by
ONA SOUNDS

Original Score by
ONA SOUNDS

Additional Music by
BALMORHEA ("writers" Robert Lowe and Michael Muller)
MICHAEL NAU
CRISTIAN SCHMIDT

Special Thanks to
MARK DEMING
ASHLEY PEEL
JACOB BOLING
JIMMY DAPPEN
AMANDA DAPPEN
JIM AIKMAN
GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN
ANN KRCIK and THE NORTH FACE
LARRABEE STATE PARK

Created with generous support from NRS

© 2018 Day’s Edge Productions. All rights reserved.

[christophertran]

Bravo!!! Truly well made video. There are so many great transitions and incredible drone shots. The video really call to question of what is time and truly touches the human heart and soul with a hint of human mortality in the beauty of Mother Nature and vastness of time.

The video reminds me of Robert Bly’s Iron John and Joseph Campbell’s the Hero’s Journey.

I really hope in two years time to have the honor of follow the similar Passage.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart soul for the inspiration.

[luisguimaraes]

such a beautiful, touching, film, about so many things but above all that moment you and your brother summarise s well around minute 19: that moment when we go from young men to men and our parents go from people to old people. an amazing, beautifully produced and narrated story. I loved everyone I "met" in the movie. inspirational

[amike]

Wonderful story and well presented!
I'm 77 years old and ready to go try it myself. Thanks for posting!

[brucegelman]

You captured the essence of the inside passage of time.Your parents are beautiful people. Cherish them.They leave too soon.

[kellydurst]

Amazing documentary... I believe I met your father and uncle just south of Wrangell when my partner and I were kayaking. They gave me a drop line to fish with, that night I caught a rockfish for dinner. They really made an impression on us with their handmade canoe, the story of finishing their trip, and the smiles on their faces.

[wunkus]

This hits home. It's been too long since my brother and I did something epic. I need to call him and make plans.

[CamMacMastermusic]

A comment by your dad on a Richard Shindell video at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival brought me here. Great story. Great production. Great people !

[arthurmunha-lu]

I love the authentic and practical they stories you have shared, not filtered stories from Instagram.❤️😊☺️

[blesspanda]

I learned your story in the Advanced magazine. It is really an inspiring story about adventure and family.

[livelife]

Well done. Nice to see you all living life as it should be lived. Life is not about how long you live but how much life you live. This documentary illustrates this idea.

[Timburgess]

Really lovely. Thanks so much for sharing.

[WHATTHEBEEP]

very glad i found this, thanks for a great documentary.

Very cool. Amazing shots. Love the story. From 🇧🇷.

[jakebrown]

Came across this on amazon prime trying to find something meaningful to watch on a peaceful Sunday. Beautiful documentary! Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring and uplifting experience:)

[sisaktamas]

55.000 views and 755 👍🏻?? That’s simply unfair, this film is beautiful and introspective. It has to be shared.

[benkidder]

So unreal... how does this not have more views. Wya youtube recommendation?

[clarabrown]

Today I came across an old (well, 2018) news article about your trip. It's a great story and I find such adventure in it. Thank you for the film, I especially liked from 23:33 on, it is nicely put.

[lennycurtisxo]

Wow what a beautiful story & beautiful pictures & loved the '74 pics. Thank you so much for sharing this with the world. It's a video I will return to again & again

[toddmallin]

Such a great story. So well shot and told. Thanks for the inspiration. I'm heading out right now.

[stephanieholbrook]

Saw this tonight at Ocean Film Festival and LOVED it!! What a heartwarming story, beautifully shot and told. It made me very emotional and inspired. Well done. Truly.