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Documentary / Historical
La conquista del K2
Alessandro Varchetta (2004)
In 1954, an Italian expedition led by Ardito Desio set out to climb K2: the participants were recruited among some of the best Italian mountaineers and after undertaking a period of innovative training for that time, they left directly for the massif of Karakorum. Under the almost military command of Desio, Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli reached the peak. Walter Bonatti, twenty-three at the time, the youngest in the expedition, spent a night without shelter at an altitude of 8100 meters, after having carried oxygen bottles to Campagnoni and Lacedelli. The K2 conquest followed a trail of controversy, although returning home to Italy was triumphant: the Italian mountaineers succeeded in climbing K2.- 2004
- Italy
- 49 min
In 1954, an Italian expedition led by Ardito Desio set out to climb K2: the participants were recruited among some of the best Italian mountaineers and after undertaking a period of innovative training for that time, they left directly for the massif of Karakorum. Under the almost military command of Desio, Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli reached the peak. Walter Bonatti, twenty-three at the time, the youngest in the expedition, spent a night without shelter at an altitude of 8100 meters, after having carried oxygen bottles to Campagnoni and Lacedelli. The K2 conquest followed a trail of controversy, although returning home to Italy was triumphant: the Italian mountaineers succeeded in climbing K2.Climbing locations
Availability
DVD / BLU-RAY -
Documentary / Historical
Matterhorn - Das ist der gipfel
Hans-Jürgen Panitz (1998)
This is a cinematic essay about the Matterhorn. About its morphology and the myth it represents; the attraction that awakens and the economic aspects, the winter and mountaineering sports that people practice, and the accidents and catastrophes that have happened there. More than 500 people have lost their lives on this very mountain up to today. Death in paradise not only fascinated the people of the 19th century. Since then the Matterhorn has become a fixation, a point of escape and a desire for many alpinists. The town of Zermatt has become a place of pilgrimage for climbers and tourists from all over the world. The same happened to Cervinia on the south side of the mountain.Matterhorn - Das ist der gipfel
- 1998
- Germany
- 45 min
This is a cinematic essay about the Matterhorn. About its morphology and the myth it represents; the attraction that awakens and the economic aspects, the winter and mountaineering sports that people practice, and the accidents and catastrophes that have happened there. More than 500 people have lost their lives on this very mountain up to today. Death in paradise not only fascinated the people of the 19th century. Since then the Matterhorn has become a fixation, a point of escape and a desire for many alpinists. The town of Zermatt has become a place of pilgrimage for climbers and tourists from all over the world. The same happened to Cervinia on the south side of the mountain.Climbing locations
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DVD / BLU-RAY -
Documentary / Chronicle
La voie Bonatti
Bruno Peyronnet (2011)
In October 2010, two of France’s finest mountaineers, Christophe Dumarest and Yann Borgnet, fulfilled a mountaineering dream: a back-to-back Alpine-style climb of some of Walter Bonatti’s great routes through the Mont Blanc massif. Dumarest and Borgnet first climbed the north face of the Grandes Jorasses; they then went on to scale the Grand Capucin and the Red Pillar of Brouillard, completing their feat by climbing Mont Blanc. Their descent by paraglider to Chamonix rounded off their achievement with a touch of style. This documentary captures Dumarest and Borgnet on their six-day journey, which they went about cheerfully, calmly and humbly.- 2011
- France
- 52 min
In October 2010, two of France’s finest mountaineers, Christophe Dumarest and Yann Borgnet, fulfilled a mountaineering dream: a back-to-back Alpine-style climb of some of Walter Bonatti’s great routes through the Mont Blanc massif. Dumarest and Borgnet first climbed the north face of the Grandes Jorasses; they then went on to scale the Grand Capucin and the Red Pillar of Brouillard, completing their feat by climbing Mont Blanc. Their descent by paraglider to Chamonix rounded off their achievement with a touch of style. This documentary captures Dumarest and Borgnet on their six-day journey, which they went about cheerfully, calmly and humbly.Climbing locations
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DVD / BLU-RAY -
Documentary / Travelogue
Europa dall'alto
Severino Casara (1959)
A coral film about the Alps, a hymn to the mountain and the wonderful alpine landscape with its incomparable beauty. History, legend, curiosities, costumes, songs, dances, sports, fauna and flora of the most famous alpine regions. Among the catalog of 'filmed postcards', the camera follows two daring climbs: Walter Bonatti and Marcello Barreux climb a difficult ice-covered wall in the Mont Blanc Massif; and another team make a 6th grade ascent in the north face of the Cima Grande di Lavaredo. A film by the Italian prolific mountain filmmaker Severino Casara.- 1959
- Italy
- 70 min
A coral film about the Alps, a hymn to the mountain and the wonderful alpine landscape with its incomparable beauty. History, legend, curiosities, costumes, songs, dances, sports, fauna and flora of the most famous alpine regions. Among the catalog of 'filmed postcards', the camera follows two daring climbs: Walter Bonatti and Marcello Barreux climb a difficult ice-covered wall in the Mont Blanc Massif; and another team make a 6th grade ascent in the north face of the Cima Grande di Lavaredo. A film by the Italian prolific mountain filmmaker Severino Casara.Climbing locations
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Documentary / Chronicle
Italia K2
Marcello Baldi (1955)
The film documents the Italian expedition to K2 in 1954, led by Ardito Desio, who saw the conquest of the summit by Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli. The film is ideally divided into three parts: the preparation of the expedition in Italy, the march of approach to the base camp, and the climb to the summit. Compared to similar works made by other expeditions of the time, Italy K2 presents the novelty of showing the shots taken just from the summit. These shots were made by the same Compagnoni and Lacedelli. The film does not delve into the events that led to the death of Mario Puchoz, and does not mention what happened with Walter Bonatti the day before the conquest of the summit.- 1955
- Italy
- 92 min
The film documents the Italian expedition to K2 in 1954, led by Ardito Desio, who saw the conquest of the summit by Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli. The film is ideally divided into three parts: the preparation of the expedition in Italy, the march of approach to the base camp, and the climb to the summit. Compared to similar works made by other expeditions of the time, Italy K2 presents the novelty of showing the shots taken just from the summit. These shots were made by the same Compagnoni and Lacedelli. The film does not delve into the events that led to the death of Mario Puchoz, and does not mention what happened with Walter Bonatti the day before the conquest of the summit.Climbing locations
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DVD / BLU-RAY -
Documentary / Chronicle
G4 - La montagna di luce
Renato Cepparo (1961)
The conquest of the Gasherbrum IV, one of the most difficult mountains of the Karakorum, took place on 6 August 1958 thanks to the second national expedition of the Italian Alpine Club led by Riccardo Cassin. It cost three months of hard work, risks and adversity: a choral effort that brought Walter Bonatti and Carlo Mauri to the top after unspeakable efforts. Technical difficulties are around the fifth degree; the altitude, the frost and the storm make progression exasperating. The Gasherbrum IV (7925 meters) even today, has only registered a handful of ascents.- 1961
- Italy
- 43 min
The conquest of the Gasherbrum IV, one of the most difficult mountains of the Karakorum, took place on 6 August 1958 thanks to the second national expedition of the Italian Alpine Club led by Riccardo Cassin. It cost three months of hard work, risks and adversity: a choral effort that brought Walter Bonatti and Carlo Mauri to the top after unspeakable efforts. Technical difficulties are around the fifth degree; the altitude, the frost and the storm make progression exasperating. The Gasherbrum IV (7925 meters) even today, has only registered a handful of ascents.Climbing locations
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DVD / BLU-RAY -
Drama / Adventure
Inferno am Montblanc
Lothar Brandler (1972)
Re-enactment of the attempt made in July 1961 by a french-italian group in order to climb Freney Pillar, in Mont Blanc massif. The expedition was composed by the frenchmen Pierre Mazaud, Robert Guillaume, Pierre Kohlmann and Antoine Vieille and by the italians Walter Bonatti, Andrea Oggioni e Roberto Gallieni. The groups arrived separatly to the camp of Col de la Fourche, but with the same aim. They united by chance to conquest the famous peak. The attempt is crushed by bad wheather and, during the descent, three French and an Italian will die.- 1972
- Germany
- 87 min
Re-enactment of the attempt made in July 1961 by a french-italian group in order to climb Freney Pillar, in Mont Blanc massif. The expedition was composed by the frenchmen Pierre Mazaud, Robert Guillaume, Pierre Kohlmann and Antoine Vieille and by the italians Walter Bonatti, Andrea Oggioni e Roberto Gallieni. The groups arrived separatly to the camp of Col de la Fourche, but with the same aim. They united by chance to conquest the famous peak. The attempt is crushed by bad wheather and, during the descent, three French and an Italian will die.Climbing locations
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DVD / BLU-RAY -
Drama / Adventure
Le pilier de la solitude
Hélène Dassonville (1959)
Recreation of the historical ascent of the southwest pillar of the Drus (the Bonatti Pillar), in the Mont Blanc Massif, by Walter Bonatti in 1955. A 800 meters high vertical wall that Bonatti did solo over the course of six days with provisions for only three days. The hunger; the thirst; the discouragement that he took when he was stuck on the wall without being able to climb or descend; and the way he got out of this dramatic condition: that's the subject of the film and the story of this exceptional climbing. In the film, the notorious swiss alpinist Michel Vaucher plays the role of Bonatti.- 1959
- France
- 22 min
Recreation of the historical ascent of the southwest pillar of the Drus (the Bonatti Pillar), in the Mont Blanc Massif, by Walter Bonatti in 1955. A 800 meters high vertical wall that Bonatti did solo over the course of six days with provisions for only three days. The hunger; the thirst; the discouragement that he took when he was stuck on the wall without being able to climb or descend; and the way he got out of this dramatic condition: that's the subject of the film and the story of this exceptional climbing. In the film, the notorious swiss alpinist Michel Vaucher plays the role of Bonatti.Climbing locations
