Programme - Saturday (20 October 2018 - Day)

Located halfway between Sondrio and the Stelvio Pass on the banks of the Adda River, the tiny village of Mazzo was built from stones the river had been smoothing  over centuries. Forests surround it and time seems to be at a standstill. The old dairy chalet of Salina is located further up, in the Bergamasque Alps, with only a steep path leading to it. It was rediscovered by Patrick who keeps old traditions alive and brings his 30 pieces of cattle up there for pasture.

Two extreme skiers from Melbourne want to learn how to manage their fears, which often stop them from utilising their whole potential. Nat calculates their risk very carefully and tries to minimise it. Anna just lets the situation unfold, often without mulling possible consequences. Both sisters look for that narrow divide between staying safely within their comfort zone and taking a risk that might or might not be too high.

A goldmine, a Russian off-road vehicle, a fox, two tents, four skiers, a film maker and two weeks time. Those were the production conditions. In the remote mountain world of the Ak-Shirak Range the skiers look for steep ice flanks and challenging descents. Further thrills are added by the sugar snow that is typical for Kyrgyzstan, a missing gold-digging permit and bad roads.

Seraplana is a rich village: of its 42 inhabitants 14 are younger than 19 years. That was in 2006. Now, even the youngest are at least eleven years or older. What has become of this bunch of kids? With this question in mind, Isabelle Jaeger took off to Seraplana a second time. A new film resulted from past and current encounters.

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 Sherpas, a strong, religious people, live at the foot of Mt. Everest. Although countless people visit the region, most Sherpas remain poor and uneducated. Apa Sherpa is a child of the Khumbu and has already summited 21 times on Mt. Everest. Since he was twelve years old, he has been working as a high altitude carrier and has often risked his life. With the help of a foundation he now wishes to enable a better future for his people, because he knows: “Without education, we don’t stand a chance.”

After a 70 m (230 ft) fall from the north wall of the Petites Jorasses, Steve Wakeford struggles to find his feet again. His severe injuries even tie him to a wheelchair for a while. But he is happy to be alive at all. Each ascent involves a descent – also into the depths of the human soul. Which, despite everything, makes this already award-winning story a declaration of love.

Equipped with a tent and a paraglider, Antoine Girard intends to traverse Northern Pakistan. Left entirely to his own devices, he flies for 19 days across more than 746 miles of breathtaking Himalayan mountain chains. He reaches an altitude of 8,157 m (26,762 ft) and even gets to see Broad Peak from above. In 2017 this daredevil mission earned Antoine Girard the National Geographic title “Adventurer of the Year”.

We’ve all been that kid in the back of their parents’ car, wishing dearly to be somewhere completely different. Dreams grow wings and during a drive through the snow-laden cities of British Columbia they actually come to life: Isn’t that Tom Wallisch beside the car, one of the world’s best free skiers, jumping across rooftops and sliding down railings?

Lena is a Braunvieh cow in the Allgäu and lives on Farmer Reinhold’s farm. But in early summer Lena and twelve fellow cows depart on a journey: with loud banging of bells they march up to the alpine Oberberg pasture. There, the work day starts early. Children drive Lena and the rest of the herd from pasture to stable for milking. Next door in the cheese dairy, Sebastian processes the fresh milk.

Beyond the “big five” of ibex, eagle, deer, chamois and bearded vulture, the Allgäu High Alps shelter hundreds of barely known species, such as the book scorpion or rare small snails and butterflies. Teacher and amateur explorer Alfred Karle-Fendt from Sonthofen climbs the steepest cliffs to discover rare creatures.

Seraplana is a rich village: of its 42 inhabitants 14 are younger than 19 years. That was in 2006. Now, even the youngest are at least eleven years or older. What has become of this bunch of kids? With this question in mind, Isabelle Jaeger took off to Seraplana a second time. A new film resulted from past and current encounters

Marcel and Andrezj are very different characters. Marcel likes to hog the limelight, while Andrezj always caters the support act. Yet, together, they form a strong team and were the first to storm the highest peaks of their animated world. Presently, the two likeable cartoon heroes face their greatest challenge, and their path is riddled with obstacles. Even worse, Andrezj is fed up with his existence in Marcel’s shadow.

In January 2015 climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson hope to complete the Yosemite Valley’s Dawn Wall. The ascent takes 19 days in total, during which they have to rely entirely on themselves on the rock face. Tommy in particular is driven by his traumatic past: he was captured by rebels in Kyrgyzstan, a few years later lost an index finger and faced the end of his marriage to his longstanding climbing partner.

A fulfilled life. No travels. No warm water. No complaints. No overkill of anything – only of pain, but he has learned to accept that a long time ago. Freedom is his luxury. Siegfried Lanthaler lives in the South Tyrolean Passeier Valley. He shaves when the first part of the day’s work is done, prepares lunch while others drink their first coffee, and goes to bed when they sit down to watch TV.

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.

Ever since he started climbing, Stephan Vogt has been dreaming of sending the first ever 9a route: the legendary “Action directe” in the Franconian Jura. Wolfgang Güllich opened the route in 1991. It is known as the wold’s first climbing route with a UIAA grade of XI. It remains a great challenge, even for the very best climbers.

Matthias Haunholder and Matthias Mayr have completed many first ski descents in the mountains of the world. Now, they are on a mission to find tracks and honour the achievement of pioneers. They engage in time travel and try their luck with the gear of yesteryear.

He has opened the most difficult climbing routes in South America and one absolute top route in Switzerland – yet Pirmin Bertle is hardly known outside the climbing scene. For him, climbing is not a means of self-marketing, but a true passion. He travels through the world, sleeps in his tent, loves his freedom and nature. He has never sacrificed his radical life-style, not even even as the father of two children.

West of famous Mt. Großvenediger the formerly significant Krimmler Tauern Pass connects the Oberpinzgau Region near Salzburg with the South Tyrolean Ahrntal Valley. Between the well-known Krimmler waterfalls and the pass, the Krimmler Tauernhaus Inn looks back on a longstanding tradition. Further up, vast ski touring terrains expand: “Killer firn slopes, beautiful summits, great views” is the kind of rave review provided not only by mountain guide and author Markus Stadler.

The US climbing grade of 5.15 (UIAA scale 11) is reserved for the world’s best sports climbers. Never has a woman sent one of these routes. Margo Hayes, a so far largely unknown climber from Colorado, wants to change that. To get closer to the world’s toughest routes, she goes to Europe and gives everything to reach her goal. She pushes her body and her willpower to the utmost extreme – risking injury and failure on her quest to be the first gal to send a 5.15.

Together with six musicians and a film and audio crew, musician and composer Manu Delago has set out on a mountain expedition through the Tyrolean Alps. In several locations and at different altitudes the team assembled a total of eight pieces of music to a work of art that combines the genres of mountain and music film.

The Tegernsee Mountain Film Festival’s initiator was passionately dedicated to the so-called landscape film. Before beginning his great series about the most beautiful national parks on earth in 1975, he produced a movie portrait about the Puster Valley in South Tyrol in 1973. This retrospective not only demonstrates Otto Guggenbichler’s special kind of storytelling, it is also a commemoration of “the good old times” — when life in the Puster Valley happened at a different heart rate than today. 

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.

In 1978 Peter Habeler and Reinhold Messner master the first ascent of Mount Everest without bottled oxygen. Embedded into the award-winning documentary film by legendary director Leo Dickinson, Reinhold Messner presents newly filmed, dramatised sequences that could not have been shot in 1978. Messner’s son Simon and Philipp Brugger act as the first ascenders on their dramatic way to the summit.

In 2017 Reinhold Messner’s film “Still Alive – Drama am Mount Kenia” won the Great Prize of the City of Tegernsee.

Equipped with a tent and a paraglider, Antoine Girard intends to traverse Northern Pakistan. Left entirely to his own devices, he flies for 19 days across more than 746 miles of breathtaking Himalayan mountain chains. He reaches an altitude of 8,157 m (26,762 ft) and even gets to see Broad Peak from above. In 2017 this daredevil mission earned Antoine Girard the National Geographic title “Adventurer of the Year”.