Programme - Friday 18. October 2019 - during the day

The grandfather of Marcell Barelli tells the story of a small bee, which has to flee from pollution. But before they start, they should agree on how a „real‟ bee will be drawn. With a lot of humor, sound and image combine to form a detailed and lovable short film.
Marcel Barelli received the 2012 Otto Guggenbichler Award for his film „Gypaethus Helveticus‟.

Animal reporter Anna has traveled to the highlands of the Andes. Llamas and alpacas, the small relatives of camels, live in South America. Anna helps the shepherds to drive the alpaca herd into the pasture, a breathtaking experience in the truest sense of the word. It comes very close to the alpaca offspring and is thrilled with the soft fur of the animals. But not only because of their wool, these Andean camels are highly valued, they also serve as a carrier, at least if they feel like it, otherwise they spit – even further than Anna!

The Schneeferner on the Zugspitze is Germany’s highest glacier. Scientists fear, however, that he could have disappeared without a trace in about twenty years. Because the ice is melting up there too. But why is that? Does that also have consequences for us humans? And above all – can the glacier be saved after all?

Young people from all over the world want to go high, especially when looking for apprenticeships around the Zugspitze. No matter if it is about cable car technology, gastronomy or science, the mountains play a very special role in everything. And sometimes even very young dogs are included – like Kanda. She’s on the Zugspitze to become a real search and avalanche dog. Together with her 22-year-old owner she is busy training with the team.

In search of a natural, independent life, people of various ages turn away from the constraints of modern society. Together they want to live in harmony with nature. But how much technology is desirable? How much renunciation is possible and what compromises have to be made?

The village of Brienz in the Albula Valley is sliding downhill – twenty inches per year. The canton of Grisons must respond and therefore declares the whole village a red zone. This means: general construction freeze. There has never been anything like this in Grisons. How do inhabitants deal with this natural hazard? What damage does the slide incur? And what might be the “sliding village’s” future?

Little Red Riding Hood is a fairy tale, same as visions of a cuddly wolf. 150 years ago, wolves were eradicated in South Tyrol, now the predators are back. They take sheep and awaken primal fears. On one side, farmers fight for a wolf-free South Tyrol, on the other are animal rights activists and in the middle politicians who pander to the fear narrative surrounding the wolf. What approach to take? Should the wolf be considered a dangerous predator and be shot, or is it a worthy part of nature we should protect?

German professional mountaineer Michi Wohlleben plans to cross the Wettersteingrat Ridge non-stop. 44 miles and 23,000 ft of exposed and brittle ridge climbing lie before him. Apart from strength and endurance, mental stamina and concentration will be crucial. There is no room for mistakes, so preparations are tough. He learns to stay focused, even when his body screams from exhaustion. Because that’s what the Wettersteingrat Ridge demands.

A blind man tries to face his fears within the chaos of foaming rapids. Can he escape the prison of darkness that surrounds him? Erik Weihenmayer sets off with experienced companions, but must sit alone in his kayak when navigating the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon – the world’s most iconic whitewater.

Toni Sponar, born in Styria in 1934, emigrated to North America in 1958, became a ski instructor by accident, and fulfilled his own personal dream of eternal winter. He works half the year as a ski instructor in the northern hemisphere in Aspen and spends the „summer months‟ he’s in the southern hemisphere in a high valley of the Andes, in his own freeride ski resort Arpa. So he found his happiness under simple living conditions – and missed a single winter for 50 years now. The touching portrait of a happy person in every respect.

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Stefan Kiesel and Manuel Haupt study timber construction in Rosenheim. They take a half-year break to renovate five mountain huts belonging to the Bavarian State Forests in the Bavarian Alps. This project allows them to combine their work with their passion for the mountains. Time and again they set off for climbing and ski tours.

A breathtaking trip by paraglider from the French Alps to the coast of South America, from the Azores to Brazil. You can feel the wind in your face and be inspired by cloud towers and fascinating landscapes – just like the birds only see. So just sit back and enjoy!

When Saraswati returns with her husband to his village in the Himalayas, she is the first daughter-in-law in the village with a school education. Especially the older women despise her and Saraswati cannot imagine ever feeling at home here. But slowly her determination to prevail grows. An intimate story from India’s holy mountains.

Martina Halik sets out on skis with her sixty-year-old mother to traverse the treacherous coastal mountains from British Columbia to Alaska. It will take them six months to complete the 1,430-mile route. The two women are ardent fans of the high mountains, but soon the tour turns into a full-blown adventure: an avalanche almost takes their lives, they discover a snow-covered monastery and meet an artist on snowshoes. The documentary has already been awarded several times.

Margareth Ploner is a free spirit full of courage and passion. She loves the mountains, but also traditional customs and club life. For years she acted as the head of the Alpine Club Tiers, she was the first woman on the local community committee and the first woman working at the state level of the South Tyrol mountain rescue service. She is sociable and likes to be around people – and she’s always there when others need help.

The imposing bone crushers were eradicated in the Alps at the beginning of the 20th century. But today they are back, gyrating in the sky. The return of the bearded vultures is no coincidence, it was made possible through the largest bird conservation project in Europe. And so it seems possible to change things for the better – if one really wants to.
Anne and Erik Lapied have already won numerous awards; in 2018 they received the Great Prize of the City of Tegernsee for the second time.

A spectacular mountain landscape, the rarest wild dogs, and plants with giant growth: Bale Mountains National Park in the Ethiopian highlands is extraordinary. The mountains are almost 14,435 ft high and extremely rich in animal species. Several rivers originate here and supply around twelve million people with water. However, a violent conflict has erupted around the jewel of the Bale Mountains.

A breathtaking trip by paraglider from the French Alps to the coast of South America, from the Azores to Brazil. You can feel the wind in your face and be inspired by cloud towers and fascinating landscapes – just like the birds only see. So just sit back and enjoy!

26 years later, extreme mountaineer Hans Kammerlander faces his fate at Mt Manaslu (26,781 ft) again. Back then, he lost two of his best friends on the mountain. He grew up as the son of a mountain farmer above Sand in Taufers, Italy. Curious to discover the mountain world beyond his native valley, he achieved outstanding summit victories, but also lived through painful tragedies. In order to heal his wounds and make peace with what happened, he must keep moving on, back to Manaslu.

In 2010 the Great Prize by the City of Tegernsee was awarded to Gerald Salmina for the film “Mount St. Elias”.

With „Silence‟ Adam Ondra climbs the world’s most difficult sport climbing route (9c) and establishes a new level of difficulty. Even in big-wall climbing, the Czech shows what he can do: he repeats the Dawn Wall in just eight days – on his very first trip to the Yosemite Valley. He even climbs an „8a‟ blindfolded. But what makes this exceptional climber so strong? Muscle strength and stamina alone can not be it…

The crisis comes unexpectedly. The Lower Engadine Corsin Biert works in the hospitality industry, suddenly he falls into a deep hole. To regain his balance, he goes to China and to a Shaolin Monastery where Master Yu and Master Liu help him. Back in Switzerland, he opens the „Center da Bainesser‟ in Tschlin. He encounters resistance, but it turns out that it’s worth fighting for his Shaolin dreams.

In 2015 Susanna Fanzun got the Audience Prize for her film “Kühe, Käse und 3 Kinder”.

The Soča has its source in the Triglav National Park in Slovenia and is one of the most beautiful, still largely untouched Alpine rivers. It has a legendary reputation among kayakers, and rafting companies are now discovering the river for their purposes. Could this wilderness soon be lost as well? Together with kayak builder Toni Prijon, who grew up with the Soča, Georg Bayerle sets out to explore this river.

There is probably no life without fatalities. You can not avoid certain things. Right then it is important to be ready to pick up the pieces, get up and move on. In the bright solitude of the autumnal Dolomites, Aaron, an excellent paraglider, has met his fate. It is an intimate story about fragility – but also to return to the overwhelming power and make dreams come true.

The Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt is one of the hardest ski high alpine tours – and one of the most fascinating. 80 kilometers in the snow, 7000 vertical meters in the steep high mountains. The former Swiss ski racer and Olympic champion Dominique Gisin breaks with a former colleague and another five tour partners on this unique adventure.