Programme - (19 October 2024 - Evening)

In the West Bank, climbing means much more to a colourful medley of people than just a sport: For Palestinian climbers, every minute on the rock means much-needed respite from the burden of the Israeli occupation. American writer and climber Andrew Bisharat visits the West Bank to find his own roots and rediscover the power of climbing.

Nasim Eshqi is the only woman in Iran who is opening up new climbing routes. For her passion she has to overcome physical, mental and cultural boundaries and defy the arbitrary rules imposed by a totalitarian system. She climbs in India, Turkey and Armenia, and in between she teaches Iranian women how to climb. With their cinematic work, this extraordinary athlete and the filmmaker Francesca Borghetti wish to overcome limitations and fight for human rights. The film is running outside the competition.

The Swiss capital of Bern prides itself in an active underground bouldering scene. “Let it Bärn” invites you to discover a unique movement that aims to playfully reconquer the streets and playgrounds of the city. Banksy ghosts and bouldering guide authors Dr. Bäri and Dr. Bomb thus continue the longstanding tradition of “buildering” – a climbing practice performed in Cambridge as early as the 19th century. Today, it lives on in activities like parkour and freerunning.

Eighty years of Reinhold Messner: a life like a myth. He made history as a mountaineer, but as a person he has remained a mystery to many. This film portrait sheds light on the legendary mountaineer from the perspective of his closest companions and shows his unique life with rare archive footage. As a man, he experienced the magic of countless horizons, but also tragic abysses. The film tells the story of the alpinist and man Reinhold Messner and his unique path from the Villnöss Valley to the mountains of the world.

“There would have been flatter land for the field,” says mountain farmer Valentin, but with produce, it’s the same as with a concert: “Standing on the tribune, you don’t have anyone in front of you, and on the slope, the plants get more sun.” The film tells of the balancing act between the simple life of a self-sufficient farmer and that of a supplier to star-studded kitchens. It celebrates the spot above the dung heap as the most beautiful place for sunsets. Everything on the organic farm has its philosophy, because “a farm is much bigger than what we can see with our eyes.”

Absolutely unclimbable: The film documents the first ascent of a new route through the south face of Nuptse in Nepal by three French mountaineers. It is supremely dangerous and has only been climbed three times before. This feat is extreme in two respects: Not only do the climbers overcome great difficulties and dangers, they also let the viewer participate in their adventure up-close.

The film accompanies five protagonists from Switzerland, Austria, Bolivia and Peru. Skiing down steep walls in the Andes at almost 20,000 ft takes the group to its limits. During the first descent on 19,927 ft high Mount Chachacomani in Bolivia, the altitude is a difficult hurdle to overcome. The film explores the question why mountains play such an important role in the lives of many people.

When Egger arrives in the valley that is to contain his whole life, he is four years old. Under difficult circumstances, he grows up to be a seasoned farm hand, and as a young man, he joins a work gang that builds mountain railways. Then comes the day when Egger faces the love of his life for the first time. Many years later, when Egger embarks on his last journey, he looks with amazement at the years that lie behind him.