KEVIN MACDONALD

Bil’s rating (out of 5):   BBBB. 

United Kingdom, 2003.  FilmFour, UK Film Council, Darlow Smithson Productions, Channel 4 Television Corporation, Public Broadcasting Service, UK Film Council’s New Cinema Fun.  Screenplay by David Darlow, based on the book by Joe Simpson.  Cinematography by Mike Eley, Keith Partridge.  Produced by John Smithson.  Music by Alex Heffes.  Production Design by Patrick Bill.  Costume Design by Patrick Bill.  Film Editing by Justine Wright.  

This heartstopping documentary recreates the now legendary harrowing adventure that two men experienced when they attempted to climb Siula Grande, an impressively tall mountain in Peru. As the two climbers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, tell their stories to the camera, two actors recreate the frightening events that took place after one of the climbers fell and was thought dead and the other was forced to go back to base camp alone. The injured party was actually stuck with a broken leg and had to crawl across a huge distance to make it back to his companion before their base camp was abandoned for good. Terrifying, and featuring some breathtaking photography, this is an excellent journey into the heart of people’s daring dreams.

Toronto International Film Festival:  2003