Programme - (18 October 2024 - Evening)

The film tells the story of the 1924 Everest Expedition by means of historical footage and interviews with Everest scientists and mountaineers. Central question is what the mountain means for mountaineers and locals 100 years after this famous expedition.

Dhanraj Barkote, a young Nepalese filmmaker living in Spain, decides to return to his birthplace in the Humla Mountains. After losing his parents and becoming an orphan, he did not visit his homeland for 20 years. Spurred on by the hope of bringing his memories to life with the help of the medium of film, Barkote sets off homeward …

US filmmaker Renan Ozturk tells the story of a very special journey: In 2019, he accompanied an expedition to the north side of Mount Everest as a photographer. The objective was to find the body of mountaineer Andy Irvine, who disappeared in 1924. As part of the expedition, Ozturk also managed to climb to the summit of Mount Everest, although he did not access the highest point out of respect for the faith of the Sherpas accompanying him. The International Alliance for Mountain Film, of which the Tegernsee Mountain Film Festival is a member, awarded Renan Ozturk the IAMF Grand Prize in 2024 in recognition of his life’s work.

The louder the glacier, the stronger the melt. Crackling, snapping and splashing: that is the voice of transience. Sound artist Ludwig Berger demonstrates how important it is to hear the world around us. The film accompanies him on one of his numerous visits to the Morteratsch Glacier in the Swiss Alps, where he collects fascinating sounds that might disappear forever.

In the Afghan province of Bamyan, young villagers build makeshift skis and meet for a thrilling mountain race that demands intense camaraderie and resilience – lessons they must fall back on after the shocking Taliban takeover of their country. Alisha Farhang, whose passion for skiing almost allows him to participate in the Olympics, has to flee from his homeland head over heels.

Swiss mountain guide Thomas Ulrich is known as an adventurer, expedition traveller, mountaineer and paraglider. But his heart also beats for hunting, because it makes him feel free and at one with nature. His experiences in the mountains and in the air help Thomas to develop a wide range of skills. He needs these to hunt at the foot of Mount Jungfrau in the Bernese Oberland – an area that is not suitable for just any hunter.

As the Director of the Red Taiga National Park in Mongolia, Tumursukh’s job is to protect natural spaces and wildlife. His effective subterfuge is to turn former poachers into gamekeepers. Tumursukh’s strategy seems to be working. But the gradual alignment of diverse ways of life, traditions and demands is endangered when a bear family invades a village.

The Julian Alps tend to be associated with Slovenia and the Slovenian national symbol, Mount Triglav. But this particularly striking and bizarre mountain range stretches further west to the River Tagliamento in Friuli, Italy. And there stands a counterpart, a huge mountain massif that commands attention: the 9,000 ft Jôf di Montasio. Its ascent becomes a journey of discovery into the unknown mountains of Friuli with their unique stories and people.

The glaciers are melting – but the tourism show must go on. Ski resorts in the Alps build their mountains on demand. As early as August, glacier remnants are removed and replanted elsewhere, rubble and debris are dredged away, tons of artificial snow are poured on top. Mountain railway operators are planning new lifts in the middle of nature reserves, although glaciers are strictly protected. But there is also resistance, be it in Tyrol or on Mount Zugspitze.

Climate change threatens the mountains with catastrophic consequences for people, nature and landscapes: Below the 9,757 ft Mount Spitzer Stein in the Bernese Alps, there is a lot of rumbling. Measuring devices are in place so as to predict as accurately as possible when and how much rock will fall from the mountain into the valley. In the worst case, the residents of Kandersteg village have 48 hours to evacuate. A fight against time in more ways than one.

The brutal war over Nagorno-Karabakh ended in 2020 with a ceasefire brokered by Russia, forcing Armenia to cede territories previously under its control to Azerbaijan. As a result, thousands of Armenians living in these areas had to leave their homeland. A few days before the handover date, a group of volunteers risk their lives to search for beautiful ancient and sacred Armenian stone inscriptions in the Lachin region, the so-called “khachkars”, and to save them from destruction.

Sadpara is a journey into the heart of Pakistan’s mountains. It traces the origin of a name that today denotes an entire population. In search of the bond that connects them to the highlands, the simple routine of a small community with a strong and traditional character is revealed in the middle of the vast landscape of the Karakoram.

The film tells the story of two men in the Enns Valley and grants insights into their unusual lives. Mountain farmer Markus Rainer has not only lived one life, but three! As a successful carpenter, as a horse breeder and a third after a coma of several months. Michael Windberger is not a farmer, but a maverick without real estate. Yet, he runs one of Austria’s highest-altitude vegetable farms, in Schladming. Overcoming resistance, making dreams come true, never giving up – this is what connects these two seemingly very different characters.

The South Tyrolean mountaineer Tamara Lunger travels with her father through the wintry landscape of Iceland to go ski touring. She talks about her remarkable mountaineering career, her resilience and her determination to conquer difficult peaks. Physical tribulations, emotional and psychological aspects as well as unpredictable weather conditions become challenging. Tamara learns to appreciate travel for itself, in the spirit of the Icelandic motto for life: “Þetta reddast” – everything will be fine.

What goes on in the mind of professional climber and alpinist Martin Feistl? The protagonist himself and filmmaker Lukas Neugebauer explore this question in an impressive portrait. Many questions remain unanswered and will unfortunately remain so forever: While the film is still being completed, the 27-year-old top mountaineer from Dießen at Lake Ammersee perishes in a fatal accident during a solo ascent of the Spitzenstätter-Führe on the south face of Mount Scharnitzspitze.