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THE FILM DETAILS - KENDAL MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL 2004

A Fistful of Steel            GB       55 mins

Directed and Produced by Iain White & Neil Handyside

The film follows Scottish climber Scott Muir and various friends on their quest to repeat the hardest sport mixed climbing routes in Europe and North America.  This is the upside down world of unleashed tooling and moments of tremendous physical commitment and elation.

African Fly By    France              11mins

Directed by D. Janizewski & J. Ruby               Produced by Ride the Planets

The remote corners of Mali have many sandstone towers and walls which attract the attention of four French climbers.  Much to the delight of the locals, it is also perfect for exciting and beautifully filmed BASE jumping and parapenting.                                                                         

Alone Across Australia   Australia           52 mins

Directed by Jon Muir                       Produced by Shark Island Productions

Jon Muir, an accomplished mountaineer and adventurer, discovers that his greatest adventure is awaiting in his own back yard - a 2000 mile solo south to north continental crossing of Australia.  Unsupported, and living only on what he can carry or scavenge     along the route, this is a tale of a man taxed to the limit, both physically and emotionally.

Altisimo                        France                          5 mins

Directed by Dominique Janiszewski                     Produced by Ride the Planets

The alpine rivers of northern Italy provide some of Europe's hardest white water for a group of the best French paddlers.

Au Sud Des Nuages (South of the Clouds)           Swizerland        80 mins

Directed by Jean-François Amiguet                   Produced by Bernard Lang

Adrien is both feared and respected by the local people in the Cotter Mountains of Switzerland.  They call him God, and he almost believes it himself.  But then, like many farmers in Cumbria a few years ago, he loses all his cattle.  He leaves his alpine pastures for the first time in his life on a journey to distant China, where he reconnects with his inner self and rediscovers his humanity.

Bellavista          Germany           23 mins

Directed by Heinz Zak                      Produced by Michael Pause

The film follows Alex Huber as first he climbs a new route in winter on the N. Face of the Cima Ovest de Laverado, and then goes back to climb it free in summer.  The gripping and notorious 80m roof is wild (8c), and lacks the solid protection of a 'normal' sports climb. 

Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place  GB    45mins

Directed by Justine Curgenven, Tim Guilford & Kate Snell Produced by Kate Snell & Mark Dyson (Raw Material productions)

Three friends explore hidden passages only 150 metres beneath normal life on the surface, but they're in one of the last true wildernesses, searching for cave passages in a hollow Welsh hillside - Ogof Draenen - finding a virgin chamber far more beautiful than any of them dared to hope for. The huge stalactites and beautiful aragonite formations are of world class importance.

Charles, Edouard ou le Temps Suspendu France  26mins

Directed and Produced by Bernard Boyer

Silence and the passing of time mark the lives of two elderly brothers living on a mountain farm.  Isolation for the two bachelors is a way of life.  They share few words and live in a routine of caring for their animals and watching the slow cycle of the natural world. 

Directed by C. Steiner, H. Wittlinger & A Uibel    

The beginning and the end of civilization passes by in a matter of minutes, as witnessed by the rocks - you'll never look at a cairn in the same way again.

Dolomites Trance           France              7mins

Directed and Produced by: Ride the Planets

The Brandler/Hasse route on the North Face of the Cime Grande de Laveredo makes a fine climb, and the overhanging wall the perfect place for a quick exit - another short classic.

Dolpo - Children of the Mountains                        France              52mins

Directed by Sylvie Davidson & Pierre Combroux    Produced by Eric Bacos

Tenzin Norbu is a painter who comes from the Dolpo, an ancient and hidden Himalayan kingdom only discovered by Westerners in the '60s, and still cloaked in mystery. From his studio in Kathmandu, the artist brings viewers into this fascinating world. The film unfolds like a fairytale, presenting characters whose stories are moving and remarkable.

Directed by Frank Senn & Thomas Ulrich Produced by: Swiss Television DRS

Two Swiss guides ask; "are today's climber's capable of repeating the notorious Eiger Nordwand using the equipment of 1938?"  The film follows them for a year as they research, and then have re-made, the "authentic" equipment of the pre war era.  The horrific Eiger conditions, unchanged by 60 years, await them. 

Farther Than the Eye Can See                USA                 75 mins

Directed by Michael Brown               Produced by: Joshua Colover & Chris Blum

Erik Wiehenmeyer is one of many hundreds of people who have climbed Mount. Everest.  However, there is one big difference in the challenge for Erik - he is totally blind.  This remarkable film follows him and his team of helpers to the summit of the world, and to the heights of human spirit.

Directed and produced by Paul Diffley & David Brown

A determined but relatively unremarkable group of Edinburgh climbers train and have fun together in anticipation of repeating the dry-tooling test piece Fast and Furious A humorous short film, with real emotion as the climbers push themselves to their own physical and mental limits.

Glacier Plastic Power     Austria              23mins

Directed by Christoph Strum        Produced by the Orange Blue Fresh Air team

The benefits of good fun and good training can be seen in this film of ice, steep and nice, as World Cup winner Harold Berger and friends travel indoors and out in pursuit of the perfect and (more often) not-so-perfect placement.

Happiness in Slavery      Scotland           16mins

Directed and Produced by Peter Murray

Dave MacLeod is one of the best all-round rock climbers in the UK.  The film follows Dave for more than a month as he works through injuries and numerous falls to final success on the hardest new sport route in Scotland. 

Huandoy First Base       France              7 mins

Directed by D. Janiszewski          Produced by Ride the Planets

Huandoy in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru is a difficult mountain to climb, and its west face is the scene of one of the most remarkable BASE jumps ever achieved.

I Am Climbing    GB           15 mins

An innovative and humorous look at the obsessive and competitive nature of climbing.  Pythonesque animation and devices add to the interest.  From boulders in British Columbia the team move on to the windy towers of Castleton Valley of Utah. 

Ice Axis                 USA                  4 mins

Directed and produced by Rich Purnell

A fast and furious ice climbing film on very steep terrain.

Le Cheval 2.1     UK        2 mins

Most of us probably dream about being in the mountains, climbing like a god, but perhaps not all.  A short piece of the absurd - don't blink!

Meltdown - In the Shadow of Nepal's Lost Glaciers           GB       50 mins

Directed by Richard Heap           Produced by Richard Heap & Eve Wood

For those who love the romantic image of snow capped Himalayan peaks, this is a rude awakening to a new danger.  Global warming is creating potential disaster zones in the many narrow Nepalese valleys.  The film follows a UN sponsored trip with Ian McNaught-Davis and Roger Payne to examine the huge glacial lakes forming behind moraine dams across the region, and one in particular in the Everest region near Island Peak.

Directed by Jochen Schmoll        Produced by Drehxtrem

Africa's highest monolith is hidden away on the high steppes of northern Kenya.  Stephan Glowacz and Jürgen Knappe attempt a new route on Mount Poi, and spend culturally enriching time with the local Samburu tribe, before finally making the top on a wild and beautiful route. 

My Sore Pussy                          New Zealand      9 mins

Directed and produced by Dave Kwant

The continuing adventures of ex-pat Dave Kwant's team slug - UK and Kiwi branches  - as they tackle white water in extremis on the upper Whitcombe River of New Zealand with humour and imagination.

Never Say Nevis Again               Scotland           10 mins

Directed and Produced Steve Rogers

This time the White Water is much nearer to home, but just as challenging on Scotland's River Nevis.

Nima Temba Sherpa             Holland              52 mins

Directed by Margriet Jansen        Produced by Margriet Jansen and Metropolis Film                       

This documentary follows an ascent of Cho Oyu by a commercial expedition through the eyes of one of its employees - Nima Temba - a fairly typical talented Sherpa guide from Rolwaling.  We visit his family and share his impressions of life as an employee of western expeditions where the pay and risks are as disproportionate as so much else that separates the cultures of the West and East.

North West Passage - On Franklin's Trail        Ireland              68 mins

Directed and produced by John Murray

Sailing a small boat through the Northwest Passage is one of the truly great challenges left on earth.   The film follows an Irish crew of eight men as they cross the Atlantic and force a passage through to the Pacific on a three month adventure.  They travel through a spectacular Arctic world of ice, mountains and frozen wastes, a world that had mysteriously swallowed up the expedition of John Franklin 150 years earlier.  

Parahawking      GB           35 min

Directed and Produced by Graham Saunders-Griffiths, Scott Mason and Adam Hill

The great raptors of Nepal are diverse, spectacular and in some places under threat of extinction.  A team of ornithologists and parapenters from Britain and Nepal devise an ingenious way to help save them - create a tourist industry that literally "flys" with the birds.  This is an engaging film of an international partnership that crosses cultural and entrepreneurial borders.

Pembroke Sea Fervour (Zodiac)  20 mins

Directed and produced by Martin Crocker, Peter Hall and Carl Ryan

Zodiac is a précis of the traditional British Sea climbing experience.  Nowhere is it better told than on the much-loved Pembroke cliffs, and by Britain's foremost sea cliff climbing pioneer of the 1980's - Pat Littlejohn.  The film gives an insight into the way that sea cliff climbing has shaped this doyen of the pure British rock climbing style.

Psicobloc          USA     8 min

Directed & Produced by Josh Lowell

On the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, Klem Loskot, Tim Emmett and friends discover some great and spectacular deep water solos on overhanging limestone walls up to 60 feet high.    With a warm sea as a crash pad, the climbing is wild and the falls magnificent.

Reflections of a Solo Sheep Herder          USA                 15mins

Directed and produced by Trey Chace

This 'mockumentary' will have you laughing and/or your skin crawling, as it sends up some of the best and the worst characteristics of a big wall egotist and chauvinist (in North Carolina?)

Sleeping Giants             USA                 41mins

A 'pushing the limits' ski film shot exclusively in Jackson Hole, Wyoming where most of the time they just about get away with it.

Socialmente Inutile  (Socially Useless)    Italy      15 mins

Directed by Andrea Frigrio                      Produced by Camilla Productions

Socialmente Inultile follows is the story of a free ascent of a route by the same name, an 8a+ on the Pesgunfi in Val Masino.  The climbers follow a philosophy of the same ilk - great climbing and reflections that are shared by many the hard core rock athletes of Europe.  Contains strong language.

Sur les Fils de 4000       France              52mins

Directed by Gilles Chappaz         Produced by Migoo Production/Ville de Grenoble/ Association Grande Cordée.

The challenge for Patrick Berhault was to climb all 82 summit in the Alps over 4000m in three months.  With long time friend Phillipe Magnin, they set out from Grenoble on March 1st 2004 and spent the next 58 days climbing and skiing between the peaks.  Their adventure came to a sudden and tragic end when Patrick fell to his death when a cornice collapsed en route to the Dom.

The Adventure is Not Yet Over     GB       50mins

Directed by Richard Else                        Produced by Triple Echo Productions

For nearly 50 years, Sir Chris Bonington has been the most respected British climber internationally, and the most dominant and best known figure on the British scene.  But he has not yet hung up his boots.  At 70, Chris spends some time climbing with Leo Houlding in the Blue Mountains of Australia, reflecting on the good and bad times that have shaped his life. 

The Bonfire of Vanities          France              10 mins

Directed and produced by Guillaume Broust

The modern approach to the lesser peaks of the Himalaya has brought them down to alpine scale - at least in the style of ascent.  Sébastien and Jérôme Constant make a fast and fun ascent of what is clearly a very difficult route on the North Face of Pharilapcha near Namche Bazaar in Nepal.

The Conquest of K2        Italy                   49 mins

Directed by Alessandro Varchetta           Produced by Marco Visalberghi, Francesco Virga
 
A depressed but unbowed country after the Second World War, Italy decided on a heroic undertaking that would show its citizens that they were capable of great achievements - the first ascent of the world's hardest mountain - K2.  This chronicle of the ascent of the second-highest mountain in the world features exceptional archival footage, re-enactments, and interviews with expedition members. 

The Falcon that Flew with Man    GB                   50 mins

Directed and produced by Leo Dickinson 

Lloyd Buck has trained eagles and falcons for twenty years. Like many, he has been fascinated by just how fast peregrine falcons can fly. Using parachutes, balloons and state-of-the-art micro-accelerometers, Lloyd decided to find out the answer to that age-old question. Andy Montriou, a BASE jumper, and Leo Dickinson train the falcons to chase them in order to get unique footage of the world's fastest creature, but there are unexpected risks entering the domain of another creature.

The Fly Up        Kazakhstan      10 mins

Directed by Marat Sarulu            Produced by Film Kino

An encapsulation of a day in the life of a young man trapped in a drab, post-Soviet industrial town. He dreams of soaring above it all and creates the means to do it.

The God         Russia         4 mins

Directed by Konstantin Bronzit    Produced by Sergey Selvanoy & Alexander Boyarsky

A clever animated short in which even a God can become furious with a pesky fly - but don't underestimate the will to re-incarnate!

The Hardest Way to the Pole      GB       45mins

Directed by Mark Dyson                         Produced by Raw Material Productions

Pen Hadow attempts the first solo walk to the Geographic North Pole, with no support of any kind, via the most dangerous route from Canada.  Pen reflects on his physical, emotional and psychological changes.  To stop himself going mad, he invents a team including 'Molly' the snow brush, 'Swerves and Curves' the ski poles and 'Baskers' the sledge.  After losing a ski,  he must walk the rest of the way to the Pole. 

Thumbnail         Spain                            58 mins

Directed and Produced by Jesús Bosque

On the south coast of Greenland stands the Thumbnail, a granite wall a mile high. Climbers Cecilia Buil and Roberta Nunes approach by kayak, paddling through icebergs and passing whales and seals. They think it will take one week on the wall: climbing, sleeping, working together. If they make it, they will break the record for the longest new route climbed by a team of women.

Tom Crean: Antarctica's Forgotten Hero   Ireland   53 mins

Directed by Donncha Ó Briain and John Murray    Produced by  John Murray

This award winning film tells the story of Irishman Tom Crean, who became one of the most indestructible heroes in the history of Antarctic exploration, taking part in three of the four greatest Antarctic expeditions. Using archival photographs and film and interviews with polar historians and relatives of Tom Crean and Ernest Shackleton, the film chronicles Crean's astonishing life of adventure, heroism, and survival against the odds.

Trio for One       France              57 mins

Directed by Shay Katz             Produced by Gerard Queray & Katai Lafaille

Dhaulagiri, Nanga Parbat and Broad Peak are three of the world's 14 peaks over 8000m.  Jean Christophe LaFaille aims to ascend all three in the space of three months.  The film takes us on a dramatic and eventful journey which explores the mind, motivation and will to succeed and survive of this devoted mountaineer.

Tsavagtattaq      Sweden             27 mins

A single photo of an unclimbed spire in Eastern Greenland taken by friends fires a group of climbers to  visit the mountain to try and climb its monstrous headwall.  Failure due to loose rock and bad weather forces a retreat on the first visit, but Tsavagtattaq -"The Tip of he Harpoon" - calls them back to try again the following summer.

Twice Upon a Time in Bolivia       GB       50 mins

Directed and Produced by Alastair Lee and David Halsted

Three no-hopers from Lancashire's grimmest corner (Burnley) head out for Bolivia's Cordillera Real in search of 6000m glory.  This hysterical journey begins with acclimatization problems, when one member turns into a "scouse wookey".  A stunning mountain route on Pequin Alpamayo becomes a side line to the deadpan humour which takes in bandits, frostbite, donkeys, climbing and full frontal adventure.

Women of K2               USA     47 mins

Directed by Jeff Rhoads              Produced by Jennifer Jordan
Whereas Everest has been climbed over 2000 times, far fewer have reached the summit of the world's second highest mountain - K2.  Until this year, only five of them were women, three of whom never made it back down again, including Britons Alison Hargreaves and Julie Tullis.  The film features revealing interviews and rare archival photographs, and tells the story of the obsession these fearless women had with the mountain, and the price they paid.

Your Himalayas      Spain               40 mins

Directed by Alberto Iñurrategi      Produced by Anaiak Iñurrategi & Aretxabaleta

This beautiful film by Basque film maker and climber Alberto Iňurrategi is a passionate and poetic tribute to his brother Felix who died on Gasherbrum 2 while the - brothers were well on their way to complete all 8000m peaks.   The void left by this loss forces questions on motivation as he returns to the Himalaya to carry on without Felix at his side, and yet his presence is still with him.