Flying High: Quest for Everest

14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible(en)

In 2019, Nepalese mountain climber Nirmal “Nims” Purja set out to do the unthinkable by climbing the world’s fourteen highest summits in less than seven months. (The previous record was eight years). He called the effort “Project Possible 14/7” and saw it as a way to inspire others to strive for greater heights in any pursuit. The film follows his team as they seek to defy naysayers and push the limits of human endurance.

Everest - Sea to Summit(en)

In 1990 Macartney-Snape returned once again to Mt Everest with the idea of climbing the mountain from the sea to the summit. The idea had originally been floated by adventure cameraman Michael Dillon. With sponsorship provided by Australian Geographic amongst others, it would take Macartney-Snape three months to achieve this goal. This was the first time anyone had walked from sea level and reached the top of Mt Everest, as even the first expeditions started from Kathmandu, at 1400m above sea level. Although Macartney-Snape planned climbing Everest via the more difficult West Ridge, bad weather and strong avalanche risk changed his plans and he finally ascended via the South Col route.

Manaslu: Mountain of Souls(de)

The great successes and tragedies in the life and work of Hans Kammerlander, the renowned mountaineer.

Climbing Everest with a Mountain on My Back: The Sherpa's Story(en)

Every year, over a thousand climbers try to reach the summit of Mount Everest, with the annual record for successful attempts currently standing at 633. But of that number, nearly half were Sherpas - the mountain's unsung heroes. Yet the Sherpa community has remained secretive about their nation, culture and experiences living in the shadow of the world's highest mountain. Now, for the first time, they open the door into their world. Without the expertise of the Sherpas, only the hardiest and most skilful climbers would succeed. Every day they risk their lives for the safety of others, yet they seek neither glory nor reward, preferring to stay in the background. Following the stories of four such Sherpas - Phurba, Ngima, Ngima Tenji and Gelu - this film reveals the reality of their daily lives, not just up the mountain, but with their families after they return home.

Frozen Mind(en)

Victor de Le Rue, a young professional snowboarder from the Pyrenees, has ridden all over the world, but a place on earth inspires him more particularly than the others: Chamonix, France.

Spellbound(en)

Wingsuit BASE jumping is often presented as a thrill seeking adrenaline rush. Spellbound takes us deeper into the more contemplative aspects of jumping, as David Walden and friends venture into the mountains around his home in New Zealand. Beautiful scenery and hypnotic cinematography eject us from our daily lives into a world of air, earth and flight.

Blindsight - Vertraue Deiner Vision(en)

Six blind Tibetan teenagers climb the Lhakpa-Ri peak of Mount Everest, led by seven-summit blind mountain-climber Erik Weihenmayer.

The Fatal Game(en)

In 1994, New Zealand mountaineer, Mark Whetu, summitted Mt Everest with climbing partner and friend Mike Reinberger. However it was late in the day and after a freezing night on the summit, Whetu was faced with a terrible decision...to leave Reinberger or stay with him forever.

Everest Unmasked(en)

Record of the first ascent of Everest made without the use of oxygen equipment, made in May 1978 by Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler. Could it be done? Would their blood vessels burst? Would they suffer brain damage leading to madness? Nobody was sure. Messner: 'I would never come here for trying Everest with oxygen. That is not a challenge for me.' A fascinating piece of history, well filmed by Leo Dickinson and Eric Jones (above the South Col Messner used a cine camera to continue the filming), featuring Messner and Habeler's thoughts. The film follows the usual sequence from Namche to Base Camp, through the Icefall, to Camps I, II and III. It also shows historical footage of the pioneering Mallory and Shipton expeditions.

Everest(en)

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.

Clean Mountains(nl)

Seven Sunny Days(en)

Matchstick's 2007 release, "SEVEN SUNNY DAYS", features incredible action from all over the world. Steep faces, mega-booters, giant cliffs, chase scenes, and comebacks are just some of what you can expect to see in this new film.

Expedition Everest(en)

In a groundbreaking expedition on Mount Everest, dozens of scientists converge to investigate what secrets the world’s highest peak has to tell us about our changing climate. The notorious Khumbu Glacier is mapped in stunning detail, biologists study extreme lifeforms, and a team of Sherpas and climate scientists climb straight toward the “death zone” to install the highest weather station in the world.

The Making of Everest(en)

How was this IMPOSSIBLE movie actually filmed? Photographing the world's largest mountain in the world's largest film format demanded more than just strength and courage; it required dedication and purpose. During shooting, our filming schedule took an unexpected turn when eight climbers from other expeditions died in a sudden storm high on the mountain. Safe from the disaster, our film team helped launch a rescue. Re-live the events of those dramatic days which captured the world's attention, and hear about our team's heroic ascent of EVEREST to photograph the first large format film images from the top of the world. Summit day was heartfelt, especially for our climbing leader, Jamling Norgay, whose father is a Sherpa climbing legend. A devout Buddhist, Jamling deeply respects the mountain and its deities. The tragedy and triumph of Jamling's team reminds us of the importance and presence of spirit, not just on the mountain, but everywhere and always.

Sherpa Stew(en)

This documentary chronicles the lives of two mountaineers from Nepal who have left the high Himalaya in search of "success" in New York City.

National Geographic - Everest, Una Sfida Lunga 50 Anni(it)

In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay made history as the first people to reach the top of Everest. Now, 50 years later, three sons of Everest's most celebrated climbers return to the mountain to challenge it again. Join their journey as they brave the elements and face death to climb 29,000 feet of wind-blasted rock and ice. And, relive the dramatic history of Everest from great triumphs to deadly tragedies, enduring rivalries and the unsung role of the Sherpa people—as National Geographic exposes the untold stories that lurk in the mountain's epic shadow and takes you on the ultimate Everest experience.

Flying over Everest(it)

High Tension(en)

Ueli Steck (Switzerland), Simone Moro (Italy) and Jon Griffith (GB) are not like 95% of the climbers on Everest: they don't use oxygen, altimeters (improperly called Sherpas), or fixed ropes. In 2013, the trio aims to repeat the arduous Western Spur. The Sherpas have the mission to equip the mountain with fixed ropes on this famous day, up to Camp 3: ropes without which customers of commercial expeditions could not climb Everest. An argument ensued, insults were hurled from both sides. The confrontation at Camp 2 degenerated: a Sherpa water bottle physically attacked the trio of Europeans. Blows and stones were thrown and threats led the trio to flee the mountain. The Réel Rock film crew, which is part of the climbing team, films this chaos without complacency.

High and Hallowed: Everest 1963(en)

High and Hallowed: Everest 1963 is the deepest story of the greatest Himalayan climb in American mountaineering history. Showcasing the daring and visionary efforts of the 1963 American Mount Everest Expedition, the film examines the sheer commitment, step-by-step struggle and lasting impact of America's first ascent of Mount Everest and the pioneering first ascent of West Ridge by Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld. Five decades later, High and Hallowed returns to Everest to find out if the essence of risk, adventure and the unknown that drew the first Americans to the summit still exists on Everest today.

The Man Who Skied Down Everest(en)

This Oscar-winning documentary tells the story behind Japanese daredevil Yuichiro Miura's 1970 effort to ski down the world's tallest mountain. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.