Mountain Ride (2024)

Stars at Noon

Les Etoiles de Midi is an engaging docudrama about some of the more spectacular exploits of French mountain climbers over the last several decades. In one re-enacted story, there is a wartime escape through the mountains, and in another, a daring rescue of a pair of climbers who had been missing. The actors themselves are adept at the sport of climbing, and they give the scenes an immediacy and real daring that brings the stories alive. A combination of their acrobatics and skill and the outstanding episodes in the history of French climbing creates a winning 78 minutes.

In the Shadow of Karakorum

In 1954, a German-Austrian expedition led by Mathias Rebitsch set off for the difficult-to-access Karakoram Mountains, geographically north of the Himalayas. They come across the Hunza, a people who live in the valley of the same name and believe they are descended from the soldiers of Alexander the Great. The documentary conveys impressions of the poor life of the Hunza people, the harvest, a court hearing, festivals and the children's everyday school life. Finally, the expedition sets off again and sets up its main camp on the moraine ridge of a glacier, where they measure the glacier and the earth's magnetic field. Finally, some men from the research community set off for a sub-peak of Batura.

Dying for Everest

On 15 May, 2006, double amputee Mark Inglis reached the summit of Mt Everest. It was a remarkable achievement and Inglis was feted by press and public alike. But only a few days later he was plunged into a storm of controversy when it was learned that he had passed an incapacitated climber, Englishman David Sharp, leaving him to a lonely end high in the Death Zone.

Aventure à Bleau

Adventure in Bleau is a documentary about bouldering that takes place in Fontainebleau. Directed by Jean-Paul Janssen in 1980 and produced by Antenne 2, it is part of the series "Les Carnets de l'Aventure" and broadcast on the same television channel. It features different generations of the finest free climbing artists of the time: Patrick Edlinger, Catherine Destivelle, Lucien Bérardini, Jean Pierre Bouvier, and Bertrand Roche 'Zébulon'.

Rock Queen

Catherine Destivelle has deservedly become the most famous female climber in the world. She rose to prominence with historic climbs, such as the free ascent of the Nameless Tower in Pakistan, and solo winter ascents of the classic north faces of the Matterhorn and the Eiger, climbs that have never been repeated by any woman. She also made history in sport climbing by winning the world championship title. In 1997, this time in Scotland, on the iconic Old Man of Hoy route, opened by Bonington, Patey & Baillie, Martin Belderson crowned Destivelle Queen of the Rock. She was four months pregnant when she made this 137-meter ascent, which was not difficult but on tricky rock.

The Core

“The Core” features climber Dean Potter during one of his greatest feats: the one-day ascent of El Capitan and Half Dome, two of the world’s most famous rock faces, in Yosemite. Throughout the documentary, Potter describes what drives him to undertake such epic, perilous, and daring projects, which have made him one of the most renowned climbers. “The Core” captures not only Potter’s profound reflections, but also the iconic beauty of the national treasure that is Yosemite.

Dirty Bird, The Derek Hersey Story

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Sentinel - The West Face

1967: Two of the world's best climbers, Yvon Chouinard and Royal Robbins, tackle the west face of Sentinel Rock, an iconic 2,100-meter granite peak located in Yosemite National Park, considered one of the most difficult in the world. The film's atmosphere is immersive, driven by a sober narrative that highlights the intimate relationship between man and the wall. The technical difficulty of the route, the prolonged physical effort, and the isolation reinforce the heroic dimension of this ascent. The documentary also reveals the essential solidarity between the climbers: each progression requires rigor, inventiveness, and total trust in both the equipment and the partner. This film is considered a benchmark in the history of mountain cinema. It testifies to the pioneering spirit of the era and the evolution of climbing techniques, perfectly illustrating the transition to a more athletic and thoughtful approach to large rock faces.

Nanga Parbat - Mein Schlüsselberg

A tragic expedition to the Himalayas, told by the great mountaineer Reinhold Messner, who lost his brother there in 1970, swept away by an avalanche during the descent. An epic tale set against a grandiose backdrop.

Enrique Herreros

The story of Enrique Herreros (1903-1977), cartoonist, advertiser, poster designer, talent manager, actor, producer and filmmaker, and the most daring of mountaineers; the man who, along with his companions from the so-called “other Generation of '27,” brought Hollywood to Madrid's Gran Vía, turning a grey and sinister post-war city into the capital of an incipient and ambitious cultural industry.

Profession grimpeur, Eric Escoffier

A documentary portrait of the legend Eric Escoffier at the height of his mountaineering career. A true athlete, Escoffier has comprehensive, cutting-edge preparation in three different climbing disciplines: rock climbing, ice climbing and solo free climbing, without any safety devices. Philippe Lallet's camera follows Eric in his performances and in his preparation for one of the first La Sportroccia climbing competitions, in 1985 in Bardonecchia in Italy.

In Memory of Korra

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Alain Robert en solo integral

Before tackling the ascent of urban buildings, Alain Robert was considered one of the best specialists in the "climbing" of cliffs. His passion nearly cost him his life in 1982, when a fall rendered him 66% disabled. At the time the doctors were convinced that he could no longer indulge in this passion. This does not prevent him, by dint of motivation and training, from climbing more than 170 buildings around the world to date, and from soloing technical routes at his maximum level, such as "La Nuit du Lézard". (8a+) in Buoux (France), where here is "L'Ange en Décomposition", in 1991, a mythical course in the Gorges du Verdon.

The Cutting Edge

Yûichirô Miura, the man who skied down Everest, journeys to an 8,000 foot mountain in the midst of a frozen antarctic wasteland to experience the incomparable thrill of skiing where no one has skied before.

Touching the Void

The true story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates' disastrous and nearly-fatal mountain climb of 6,344m Siula Grande in the Cordillera Huayhuash in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.

Return To Silence

Heinz Mariacher got closer to the mountains by climbing the most important peaks of the Dolomites. He then devoted himself to free climbing, before returning to classic mountaineering. On this route, he reunited with his partner Luisa Iovane. Immersing yourself in the images of the most beautiful walls of the Dolomites, you can follow the different thoughts that accompany the two climbers, different from each other, but united in life and in the rock by the same thought: "When you reach the summit, keep climbing."

Grimpeurs

In 1961 the southern face of the Central Pillar of Mont Blanc was still unclimbed. Two roped parties of climbers decided to come together to attempt to open a new route. Four days of violent storms caught the climbers just 80 metres from the summit. Of the seven climbers, only three returned home. One of the most intense and dramatic events in the history of climbing relives on the big screen, thanks to accounts and images of the feat.

2T on Paiju Peak

In 2013, Alberto Iñurrategi, Juan Vallejo and Mikel Zabalza desist in their attempt to climb Paiju Peak (6,610m). A year later, his steps cross with Mikel Renteria and Mentxu Mendieta from the WOP Foundation, who decide that the second attempt at Paiju Peak will be the first stage of their WOPeak project. The three members of the cordada land again in Pakistan. Identical scenery, the same objective and a maximum motivation for a challenge beyond mountaineering in a route full of emotions that ends with the opening of a new road in the heart of the Karakorum that they christened '2t'.

Verdon Vertical Mile

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A Man, A Woman, An 8000

Maurice Barrard and Liliane Bontemps met in 1973 in Peru. Four years later, they are married and start their life together in the Loire Valley. She is a physiotherapist, he is an educator. For them, although settled not far from Chartres, the mountains are never far away. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, they embark on high-altitude expeditions. First individually, then together. In 1982, they were at the top of Gasherbrum 2, an ascent filmed in this documentary prelude to other future ascents including the Nanga Parbat in 1984, after an aborted attempt a year earlier, which made Liliane Barrardi the first woman to climb this mountain. of Karakoram. The "tallest couple in the world" will not stop there. After the Makalu in 1985, in the spring of 1986 they will attempt the ascent of K2 and its 8,611 meters... Un Homme, Une Femme, Un 8000 was broadcast in the program Les Carnets de L'Aventure in 1983.

Everest

An international team of climbers ascends Mt. Everest in the spring of 1996. The film depicts their lengthy preparations for the climb, their trek to the summit, and their successful return to Base Camp. It also shows many of the challenges the group faced, including avalanches, lack of oxygen, treacherous ice walls, and a deadly blizzard.

Entre Terre et Ciel

This is Gaston Rebuffat's fourth film, in which, with several close friends, he discovers the sublime landscapes of the Alps. “Mont-Blanc is beautiful. I climbed it several times depending on the time, the color of the sky and the shape of the cornices and ridges. Because of the weather and also because of this feeling of altitude, Mont-Blanc provides great pleasure. For the guide, Mont Blanc is his garden, but the garden becomes more beautiful when shown to a friend. Personally, I really like the bivouacs; only there one penetrates a little the mystery of the altitude. That's why I immediately accepted when Tazieff expressed the desire to spend the night at the top of Mont Blanc in an igloo. The film won the Grand Prix at the Trento Film Festival in 1961.

The Nicole Brothers, Born To Climb

This film by Yannick Bacher tells the passion of brothers Frédéric and François Nicole for climbing. Through the sites of Cuzzago (Italy), Zurich, Murg, Pelzli, Montreux, St-Loup, Yverdon-les-Bains, Saint-Triphon or Erde, we learn to know these 2 living legends better, their life choices, their philosophy... United by blood ties, those of fraternity but also by the same passion, that of the rock, of climbing. Fred made climbing history by pushing back the difficulty ladder in the discipline of bouldering. François him, founded a family and carried out a parallel professional career. But both have never stopped exploring, traveling and climbing.

Des Blocs En Valais

Boulders in Valais presents the canton of Valais in Switzerland, its bouldering climbing spots and some of its historical and current actors and driving forces including Lucien Abbet, Benoît Dorsaz, Fred Nicole, Dave Graham... Frédéric and François Nicole gives us spectacular demonstrations of this sport, showing us routes like "Radja", the world's first 8b+. A topo-video part contains 28 climbing sites with a geographical map, and more than 160 video sequences for as many chosen blocks... more than 2h30 of climbing.

Sadpara The Mountaineer

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Refuges

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K2 La Montagne Inachevée

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Opération Survie Solitaire Huascaran

Nicolas Jaeger, a French physician specializing in sports and high-altitude physiology, conducted an experiment by spending two months on the highest peak in the Peruvian Andes, Huascarán. From July to September 1979, Nicolas Jaeger lived alone for 60 days at an altitude of 6,700 meters and studied the effects of hypoxia on his body. He documented his experience on film and later in his book, "Carnet De Solitude," published in 1979.

Women of K2

On some peaks in 2003, the statistics are impressive. For the K2 dubbed "wild mountain" or "ruthless mountain", only 240 reached the summit and more than 60 perished in the ascent. An unimaginable rate of one death in four to survive. And these statistics are even worse At the start of the 2004 climbing season, only five talented and determined women had reached the 8,616-meter summit of K2, but only two made it out alive. , they too perished while climbing other peaks of 8000 meters, these five women all disappeared in the mountains.

Une Vie Au Dessus Du Vide

Une Vie Au Dessus Du Vide (A Life Above the Void), directed by Nicolas de Virieu, is a documentary that recounts the journey of Patrick Edlinger, an exceptional climber, through a parallel between the strong media impact he had, unmatched to this day, and the evolution, or rather the explosion, of climbing activity during the 80s/90s. Rare excerpts from mainstream programs (television news, Champs-Élysées, Le Grand Échiquier, Les Carnets de l'Aventure...) also remind us what a great star he was, all interspersed with interviews with Seb Bouin, Jean-Paul Lemercier, Arnaud Petit, Antoine Le Menestrel and Gérard Kosicki.

Sul Tetto del Mondo - Walter Bonatti e Rossana Podestà

The extraordinary, complex, nuanced, restless, and rebellious personality of Walter Bonatti is recounted in a docufiction that traces the life of the greatest mountaineer of all time, without neglecting his overwhelming love story with movie star Rossana Podestà.

Guides&Cie

Established in 1821, the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix is the first and largest guides' company in the world. Wiser for its historical organisation, this diverse community of self-employed professionals operates according to two rock-solid pillars: an in-turn work distribution and an emergency fund to support guides injured from work. Who are these women and men who have sworn allegiance to their passion for the mountains? How do they cope with the hazards that are inherent to their occupation? In other words, what does "being a guide" mean in 21st century, and what makes it so remarkable? Thanks to its numerous moving accounts, this films draws a warm portrait of the guides and takes the audience deep into a very unordinary group of professionals. Undoubtedly a sensitive documentary served with stunning images!

Bravo Marcel

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Explore Mont Blanc

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Progression

Behind every breakthrough in the progression of climbing, there's a true story of doubt and determination, perseverance in the face of failure. From boulders, to big walls, to competition podiums, the climbers at the top of the game share a commitment to do whatever it takes to achieve their vision.

Patrick Gabarrou, Pèlerin des cimes

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Storm Over Everest

As darkness fell on May 10, 1996, a fast moving storm of unimaginable ferocity trapped three climbing teams high on the slopes of Mount Everest. The climbers, exhausted from their summit climb, were soon lost in darkness, in a fierce blizzard, far from the safety of High Camp at 26,000 feet. World-renowned climber and filmmaker David Breashears, who aided the rescue efforts back in 1996, now returns to Everest to tell the fuller story of what really happened on that legendary climb. Through remarkably intimate interviews with the climbers and Sherpas many who have never spoken before on American television Breashears sheds new light on the worst climbing tragedy in Mount Everest s history.

The Swiss Machine

Ueli Steck may be the greatest speed alpinist the world has ever seen. In this film he tells the stories of his record-breaking ascents in the Alps, accompanied by stunning aerial footage of him racing up 8,000 foot alpine faces. Ueli joins Alex Honnold in Yosemite to attempt speed records there. His ultimate goal: take his one-man alpine speed game to the largest, highest walls in the world.

The Northeast Pillar Of Tengkangpoche

In the fall of 2021, Tom Livingstone and Matt Glenn traveled to the Khumbu region of Rolwaling, Nepal. Faced with Covid restrictions, limited budgets, and last-minute planning, they decided to travel to this relatively accessible region. They opened a new 1,400-meter route called "Massic Attack" on the northeast pillar of Tengkangpoche (6,487 m) in seven days and reached the summit on October 30, 2021, at 12:15 p.m.

No Siesta - Christophe Dumarest & Tom Livingstone

It's one of the hardest routes on a north face that's not lacking in them: No Siesta on the Grandes Jorasses, 30 pitches of mixed, ice and rock, sometimes dubious, sometimes compact. Opened in 1986 by Jan Porvaznik and Stanislav Glejdura, No Siesta has seen a few repeats that have made it a legend: first solo in 3 days by Patrice Glairon-Rappaz in 2000, first winter and free by Robert Jasper in 2003. For the past ten years, the (rare) repeaters have been setting off on this route in the fall, or winter. Christophe Dumarest knows the north face of the Jorasses well: and for good reason, with this ascent of No Siesta his counter shows twelve routes on the north face! Not far from being a record, no doubt. Roped up with Briton Tom Livingstone, the team climbed No Siesta with two bivouacs. A short and successful film about what remains one of the most famous routes in the Alps.

Statement of Youth

At the start of the 80’s sport climbing was in its embryonic stages. Bolted routes were beginning to make a regular appearance, indoor climbing walls as we know them nowadays had not yet been invented and there was no such thing as being a pro athlete. During that period standards rose exponentially, from 7b+ as the cutting edge to 9a becoming the new world standard at the end of the ’80’s. In such a short period the sport changed beyond recognition and, in Britain, was fuelled by a small group of climbers who would do anything to climb full-time: sleeping in sheds underneath crags, shoplifting for food and clothes, and living off unemployment benefits. As illustrated in this film directed by Nick Brown, these climbers were living outside the rest of society and went on to become the most influential figures in the history of British sport climbing.

Bachar: Man, Myth, Legend

In every sport there are men, myths and legends. In the world of rock climbing, there is only one name -- John Bachar. Controversial and uncompromising, Bachar pushed the boundaries of what was possible and raised the world's standards at a time when climbers merely pursued the physical in climbing. A true rock star, he soloed 5.11 when 5.12 didn't exist, created the first 5.12 in Yosemite Valley, bouldered harder, climbed stronger, and refused to compromise his ethics along the way. Then, at the height of his fame, he disappeared. This is his story. This is the latest climbing DVD release from director/producer Michael Reardon. This is a first hand account of John Bachar and his free soloing (no rope) mastery during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Featuring interviews with Royal Robbins, Peter Croft, John Long and John Gill, the film contains footage of Bachar soloing some of the hardest climbs of their time in Germany, Spain, and his home stomping grounds of Yosemite Valley.

Annapurna III - Unclimbed

“Annapurna III – Unclimbed” is an award-winning 12-min documentary featuring the 2016 expedition to the Himalayas of Nepal led by David Lama together with Austrian alpinists Hansjörg Auer and Alex Blümel. Join the team in their feelings of fatigue, anxiety, exposure and ordeal during their 5 weeks attempting one of the world’s greatest, unsolved puzzles of alpinism: The unclimbed south-east ridge of Annapurna III.

The Ascent of Mont Blanc

Joseph Vallot and his team of guides and porters climb Mont Blanc in 1906. Their ascent will take three days. They spent their nights at the Grands Mulets refuge and the Grand Plateau refuge. This is the very first successfully filmed ascent. Joseph Vallot (1854-1925), rich heir of Lodève in Occitania. He devotes part of his fortune to the observation of the Alps, sometimes opposing the scientific community. He built an observatory, still standing today.

Annapurna South Face

This entertaining film documents the first ascent of the very difficult South Face of Annapurna, a huge Himalayan wall that the right team could achieve the seemingly impossible. The ascent of the South Face of Annapurna in 1970 was one of those breakthrough ascents - both technically and psychologically. Chris Bonington assembled the cream of British mountaineering and American Tom Frost for the attempt. The documentary is punctuated by wry observation, understatement and cutting humor from a by-gone age when the game of taking huge risks was matched by a determination not to take it too seriously.

One More Piton

Georges Livanos. A name that hardly evokes anything, or not much, even in the heart of Chamonix, the Mecca of mountaineering. And yet, the one nicknamed “the Greek” in the 1950s, because of his paternal ancestry, was undoubtedly one of the most important French mountaineers of his time. High mountain guide, Yann Borgnet, is also passionate about the history of mountaineering. “The Greek” is one of the “old ones” who particularly marked him. Yann wants to follow in Georges’ footsteps. So the young guide imagines an alpine journey, designed to visit the great routes opened by Livanos. A dive into the heart of an immense vertical heritage, to meet a great, almost forgotten, figure of mountaineering and his heritage.

Kilimandscharo - diesmal mit Krücken

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The Measure of the Feat

A film about the preparation of the "Trilogy For a Single Man," about the medical and nutritional monitoring of French mountaineer Christophe Profit during his climbing "trilogy" and the period of intensive training that preceded one of the most fabulous "chains" ever made by a mountaineer. On March 12 and 13, 1987, Christophe Profit, then 26, successfully climbed the three largest north faces of the Alps in winter in 40 hours: Grandes Jorasses, Eiger, Matterhorn. But beyond this coverage of the event, it is the behind-the-scenes that is revealed, the story of this project, the ups and downs of its preparations and the personality of its author, a dancer of the verticals, who concentrates at his fingertips the energy and reflexes of life itself.

Maurice Baquet, The Accorded

At once a high-level musician, member of the October Group, entertainer, theater artist, film actor, mountaineer, and skier, Maurice Baquet, always on the move, structured his life around two common threads: the cello and the mountains. He once defined himself as a "cellist-skier," "all alone" in this category, which prompted James Couttet, world ski champion, to say: "Of all the skiers I know, he's the best cellist." Echoing this, Professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur, André Navarra, added: "Of all the cellists I know, he's the best skier." Throughout his varied yet coherent career, Baquet helped to project a joyful and artistic image of the mountains. Who better to talk about Maurice and all his adventures than his alter-ego: Cérébos, the faithful cello that never left his side? From Paris to Chamonix, from the stage to the granite slabs and snowy slopes, this film follows Cérébos, crossing the century and above all... smiling!

Ueli Steck - Speed, Der schnellste Mann am Berg

He climbed solo, without a rope, the north face of the Eigers in 2h47. Below him the rock wall steigen über 1000 Meter ab. Mehr Ueli Steck, the lone wolf, does not lose his temper. For a year, Steck has meticulously prepared this record of less than three hours. The portrait of an extraordinary man who takes us on a journey to the most beautiful and challenging peaks in the world.

The Six Great North Faces of the Alps

Six big north faces of the Alps. The film consists of six films: "Die Wand der Wände" (Eger by Robert Jasper, Roger Schäli), "Das letzte Wort hat der Berg" (Matterhorn by Michael Lerjen, Jorge Ackermann), "Selig, wer in Träumen stirbt" (Grandes Jorasses by Felix Berg, Robert Steiner), "Licht und Schatten" (Piz badile by Hansjörg Auer), "Grenzen der Felskletterei" (Drei Zinnen by Alexander Huber) and "Der zerfallene Berg" (Petit Dru by Steve House, Andy Parkin).

Extreme Rock

In 1984 Ron Fawcett, is one of the most athletic climbers, he takes pleasure in taking up the challenge of climbing "free" without artificial aids, the equipment and rope being used only for safety, a revolution at the time. The documentary is part of "Pushing The Limits", a 10-episode series by Leo Dickinson documenting sporting adventures that push the limits of human endurance. Each episode focused on an extreme sport, ranging from rock climbing to hot air ballooning.

Le Grec - Georges Livanos

Georges Livanos, nicknamed the Greek but pure child of Marseille, amateur mountaineer, opened more than 500 routes in the Calanques, 40 in the Dolomites, and repeated many of the greatest routes in the Alps in the company of the best climbers of his time, d friends, and especially his wife Sonia. He is also the author of the classic "Beyond the vertical". This report follows for a day the legend, still 71 years old, of his apartment in the Marseille city in the Calanques. As a true Provençal, he speaks without filter of the exploits that made him famous, gives his opinion on modern climbing and on life in general: the portrait of a great climber and above all of a fascinating character with a sense of humor sharp.

Autour d'un Film de Montagne

Making of the cinematographic shooting of "Premier de Cordée" directed by Louis Daquin in the Mont-Blanc massif. In 1943. Alain Pol films the risky adventure of filming in the high mountains with a team of seventy people. The images of the making-of reveal the technical constraints encountered by the actors and technicians: falling rocks, crossing glaciers and long approach walks at altitude to the filming locations. Six actors and technicians will also be injured and the main role - that of Pierre - will be reassigned to André Le Gall following a bad fall by Roger Pigaut.

Meru

Meru is the electrifying story of three elite American climbers—Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Renan Ozturk—bent on achieving the impossible.

Mythos Cerro Torre: Reinhold Messner auf Spurensuche

In 1959, Cesare Maestri and Toni Egger are said to have been the first to climb the more than 3,000-metre-high granite needle of Cerro Torre. Egger had a fatal accident on the descent and Maestri was unable to prove that they had reached the summit. Reinhold Messner searches for the truth in this documentary.