It can be challenging to be born to famous parents. Norman Dyhrenfurth, son of Oskar G. Dyhrenfurth, the Himalayan authority of the 1930ies, and his wife Hettie, didn’t encounter any problems. He followed in his father’s footsteps, not as a scientist, but as a mountaineer, expedition leader and film maker – and made many of his dreams come true. When he died in September 2017 at the age of 99 in Salzburg, a deeply fulfilled life came to its end.
Since he first accompanied the Swiss Everest expedition as its cinematographer in 1952, the globe’s highest peak kept him enthralled. He returned to it several times, experienced his great triumph there in 1963, but also endured disappointments. However, no failure dampened his zest for action, he always kept his composure. Up until the very end he also kept abreast with mountain events and impressed those around him with his openness, dignity and humility.
In this second part of the great documentary about the Dyhrenfurth family, film maker Andreas Nickel primarily follows in the footsteps of Norman Dyhrenfurth. Further footage will be screened.
Moreover, Michael Pause will talk to Maria Sernetz-Dyhrenfurth, to film maker Andreas Nickel and Dr. Michael Bilic, who, in his role as director of the Salzburg Mountain Film Festival, enjoyed amicable relations with Norman Dyhrenfurth over many years.
Patagonia. Even further south than our thoughts reach, there is a land of outrageous expansion and beauty. When photographer Eliseo Miciu goes to explore it, he not only discovers many mystical places and unique motifs, he also learns a lot about himself.
Over more than seven years, the Lapied family accompanied the fantastical odyssey of two eagles. To survive the harshness of winter, these majestic birds trick marmots and chamois and fight hard for every morsel of flesh. When a bearded vulture tries to settle in their territory, they face a whole new challenge.
Veronique, Anne and Erik Lapied have already been awarded several Prizes for the Best Nature Film in Tegernsee.
Görge Heimann is a runner of stairways. He trains ferociously on the 18 steps in his garden, because his next run will take him to Mt. Niesen, a popular Swiss mountain commanding scenic views. That’s where the world’s longest stairway awaits him: 11,674 steps along the tracks of a funicular towards the summit. Normally, this “route” is out of bounds, but during the annual Niesen stairways run, athletes are welcome to have a go.
This footage spent 50 years in a garage until Karel Vlček’s recent discovery and assemblage to a highly watchable documentary. Recorded between 1968 and 1973, the photographs and 16 millimetre sequences deliver a remarkable impression of what went on in the Czech sandstone climbing scene of that time.
The Golden Shower Route opened by Stefan Glowacz remains one of the hardest multi-pitch routes in France’s Verdon Gorge. A consecutive Redpoint climb has not yet been achieved. Mountain guides Tobias Bitschnau and Christoph Schranz are fascinated by this distinctive and exposed line and decide to try the project. The key passage and atypical rock conditions force them to give everything.
Nadine Wallner is a professional skier. Her extreme freeride competitions take her around the globe. However, she is personally and intimately connected to Mt. Arlberg. For years, these mountains have shaped her personality, have given her strength – but also cost her a lot of energy.
Sir Christian Bonington counts among the world’s most renowned alpinists. He started out as a rock climber in Great Britain and climbed Mont Blanc on new, daring routes. He wrote alpine history on the world’s highest mountains: he was the first to summit on Annapurna 2 and on Mt. Nuptse. Further groundbreaking expeditions followed across the south face of Annapurna and the southwest face of Mt. Everest. His life story is marked by visionary routes and thrilling experiences.
His climbing record of the 70ies and 80ies lists several of the world’s toughest climbing routes. In this compassionate short portrait, 70-year-old climbing pioneer Bernd Arnold makes connections between his athletic climbing success and inner life: from his childhood roots to faraway places, to homeland and friendship, all the way to the present day. The image-rich retrospective was shot among Saxony’s sandstone features.
The High Tatra is a wild mountain range characterised by extremes, located between Poland and Slovakia. It harbours the biggest predators of our part of the world, which are extinct elsewhere: bear, wolf and lynx. Untouched forests and ragged peaks offer them ideal hunting conditions. A motivated film team spent more than 900 days of shooting in the Tatra and filmed never seen stories in Europe’s smallest alpine mountains.
Scientists Franck Lavinge and Jean-Christophe Komorowski travel around the world to lift the secret of a mysterious 13th century volcanic eruption. This must have been one of the most gigantic eruptions of past millennia. In the course of their gripping scientific investigations, the team makes incredible discoveries.
Talk by Heinz Zak
Young Adam Ondra from the Czech Republic undoubtedly counts among the world’s best climbers. In the last couple of years, Adam has won just about every imaginable sports climbing competition in the areas of lead climbing and bouldering. What impresses the initiated even more are his individual achievements on the rock. For years, he has been raising the bar of what’s possible in climbing further and further up. In November 2016 he achieved in only eight days and with breathtaking style the first repetition of the world’s hardest multi-pitch route, the Dawn Wall on El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley.
Heinz Zak has accompanied, filmed and photographed the young climbing star at the Dawn Wall and on many other routes. Additionally, Heinz will screen exciting adventures with Alexander Huber and Fabian Buhl.
As the evening’s highlight, Heinz will present the film “Die Kunst des Kletterns” (The Art of Climbing).
