In the Shadow of the Karakorum
★ 9 · 1955 · 87m · Documentary
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.
More Like This
Le Grand Désert
1950 · ★ 10
In 1950, the explorer Roger Frison-Roche made a crossing of more than a thousand kilometers on the back of a camel with the photographer Georges Tairraz II, in the heart of the Sahara, from Hoggar then Djanet in Algeria to Ghat in Libya. From their journey they brought back a large number of color films and documents. Among thousands of photos, they selected 47 images which reflect the various aspects of these immense spaces which occupy a third of Africa in the book "The Great Desert". “The Great Desert, 1000 kilometers on camelback” is the eponymous 85-minute documentary of this epic, released in 1950.
More info →
Il Était Une Voie
2012 · ★ 10
Nicolas Jean, a 14-year-old climber, decided to meet climbers who have left their mark on their era and contributed to the evolution of climbing in their own way. Among them is his coach, Laurent Perez, who will guide him on an original project: re-equipping a 7c+ route and adding a variation that will make it his first 8a if he manages to complete it! Nicolas Jean will later become a high-mountain guide and the alter ego of his climbing partner, Benjamin Védrines, with whom he will achieve numerous first ascents, including the summit of Jannu Est (7468 m) in October 2025.
More info →
Farther Than the Eye Can See
2003 · ★ 7
Blind climber Erik Weihenmayer and his team's highly successful ascent of Mount Everest along with four other remarkable milestones on the mountain. Time magazine called this the most successful Everest expedition of all time.
More info →
Outlawed in Pakistan
2013 · ★ 10
Outlawed in Pakistan tells the story of Kainat Soomro as she takes her rape case to Pakistan's deeply flawed court system in hopes of getting justice. The 13-year-old Kainat accuses four men of gang rape and shortly after is ordered to be killed by her village elders. Spanning over five years, the story is told through the perspective of Kainat and the four men accused of her rape.
More info →
Via Annaba
2024 · ★ 10
Via Annaba takes us to the 2023 Annaba Mountain Week in Algeria, an event organized by the French Institute of Annaba and produced by CSPS Aïn Beïda and Nephrops Prod. During this event, climbers from Algeria, France, and Spain gathered for numerous outdoor sports workshops along Annaba's magnificent, rugged coastline: rock climbing, setting a via ferrata route, deep water soloing, scuba diving, and more. This film, a true postcard of Annaba, a city nicknamed "the charming one," is also, and above all, a pretext for inspiring encounters and a contribution to the development of mountain sports in Algeria.
More info →
The Nose Speed Record
2019 · ★ 10
For decades, an elite handful of climbers have competed for the coveted speed record on the 3,000-foot Nose of El Capitan, risking big falls to shave mere seconds off the fastest time. When a record held by superstar Alex Honnold is broken by little-known climbers Brad Gobright and Jim Reynolds, Honnold drafts fellow climbing legend Tommy Caldwell to establish a new mark that will stand the test of time. Honnold pushes for perfection while Caldwell, a family man, wrestles with the risk amid a series of accidents on the wall that lay bare the consequences of any mistake.
More info →
The Rapture of Free Soloing on Acid
2020 · ★ 8
This film follows the legendary climbing photographer and Stone Master, Dean Fidelman. Fidelman was at the forefront of the free climbing revolution in Yosemite Valley and Joshua Tree during the 1970s, making photographs with John Bachar, Lynn Hill, Ron Kauk, John Long, and many other talented climbers. This documentary takes a look at Fidelman's impact and influence as a photographer and climber.
More info →
Homs - Syrie, la vie d’après
2025
After twelve years in exile, Syrian journalist and filmmaker Daham Alasaad returns to Homs, devastated by the war in Syria. Once the city of his childhood, it is now a relic of an authoritarian regime, where different communities (Sunnis, Christians, Alawites) are trying to rebuild their lives together after terrible years of division and destruction. Thanks to Daham Alasaad's close relationship with the city's inhabitants, the director highlights some very moving characters, torn between grief, fear, the need for justice, and the desire for peace and reconciliation. By opening up naturally to the camera, they allow viewers to experience what Syrians of all backgrounds are going through today. "Homs-Syria, Life After" is a personal and political investigation into the ability of this symbolic city to rebuild hope on the ruins of a Syria ravaged by more than fifteen years of war and facing an uncertain future.
More info →