Iditarod . . . A Far Distant Place

You have to go far afield to find unspoiled sport these days, and that's what local filmmaker Alice Bouvrie did in her genial, occasionally breathtaking documentary Iditarod . . . A Far Distant Place. The self-proclaimed "Last Great Race on Earth," Iditarod is an 1100-mile dogsled marathon from Anchorage to Nome that draws about 60 musher competitors, takes around 10 days, and has nary a Nike swash in sight.

Bouvrie follows three participants. Native American Mike Williams, "The Sobriety Musher," takes time out from the race to listen to testimonials from recovered alcoholics along the way. Forty-eight-year-old grandmother Lynda Plettner has a close relationship with her dogs that keeps her from pressing them to their limits. And dogged Mike Nosko seems an old friend to bad luck as he reflects on the saying that "dog-sled racing is about losing." None of the trio looks like a winner, and indeed suspense isn't a big part of Iditarod. Human interest is, though, as well as the stunning Arctic vistas. Especially haunting are the repeated night shots of dog teams, who, their eyes glowing, look like a cross between a feral wolfpack and commuters on I-90. Although it might have been more rigorous -- haven't these races been criticized of late for animal abuse? -- Iditarod is a comfortable way to answer the call of the wild.

-- Peter Keough