Opéra Vertical

The Center Of The Universe(en)

The Center Of The Universe chronicles four days in the life of German climber Alexander Huber in Yosemite Valley, California. Living the typical Yosemite vagabond lifestyle, Alex reflects on his goal of successfully free-climbing "El Corazon" (35 pitches, 8a) on the famous El Capitan face, which is a combination of the historic routes "Salathé," "Albatross," "Son of Heart," and "Heart Route," connected by newly laid out sections. 35 challenging pitches, combining technicality, stamina, and commitment, with difficulty levels up to 8a. The film showcases the unique style of climbing in Yosemite, as well as a piece of history of the famous valley, narrated by Heinz Zak, Jim Bridwell, Lynn Hill, Alexander Huber, and Chongo Chuck themselves.

Cerro Torre: A Snowball's Chance in Hell(en)

Movie about David Lama climbing the Patagonian mountain Cerro Torre for the first time free, a mountain that has been dubbed the most difficult to climb in the world.

Farther Than the Eye Can See(en)

Blind climber Erik Weihenmayer and his team's highly successful ascent of Mount Everest along with four other remarkable milestones on the mountain. Time magazine called this the most successful Everest expedition of all time.

The Alps - Climb of Your Life(en)

In 1966, John Harlin II died while attempting Europe's most difficult climb, the North Face of the Eiger in Switzerland. 40 years later, his son John Harlin III, an expert mountaineer and the editor of the American Alpine Journal, returns to attempt the same climb.

Western Gold(en)

Join Savage Films on an adventure in search of the best highball boulders on the West Coast of North America. Phenomenal cinematography takes you to five new world-class locales: Red Rocks NV, Leavenworth WA, Squamish BC, Cody WY, and Castle Rocks ID. Western Gold provides a thrilling view of the bouldering experience when climbers commit to harder moves higher and higher off the ground. From the hardest to the tallest the West Coast has to offer, get ready to see something new.

To the Limit(de)

At the Limit is a documentary about extreme climbing. In this sports documentary, Pepe Danquart shows brothers Thomas and Alexander Huber climbing in Patagonia and on the granite rock "El Capitan" in Yosemite Valley (USA). A key part of the film is their attempt at a speed ascent of the 1,000-meter-high route "The Nose," in which the two athletes aim to break the then speed record of 2:48:30 hours, set by Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama in September 2002.

National Geographic - Everest, Una Sfida Lunga 50 Anni(it)

In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay made history as the first people to reach the top of Everest. Now, 50 years later, three sons of Everest's most celebrated climbers return to the mountain to challenge it again. Join their journey as they brave the elements and face death to climb 29,000 feet of wind-blasted rock and ice. And, relive the dramatic history of Everest from great triumphs to deadly tragedies, enduring rivalries and the unsung role of the Sherpa people—as National Geographic exposes the untold stories that lurk in the mountain's epic shadow and takes you on the ultimate Everest experience.

Simone Moro, I-View(it)

Thanks to his perseverance, the Italian Simone Moro has written pages in the history of mountaineering, especially winter mountaineering on peaks over 8,000 meters high. I-VIEW tells of his adventure as a helicopter pilot and his dream of bringing helicopter rescue to the Himalayas.

Cliffhanger(en)

A year after losing his friend in a tragic 4,000-foot fall, former ranger Gabe Walker and his partner, Hal, are called to return to the same peak to rescue a group of stranded climbers, only to learn the climbers are actually thieving hijackers who are looking for boxes full of money.

The Descent(en)

After a tragic accident, six friends reunite for a caving expedition. Their adventure soon goes horribly wrong when a collapse traps them deep underground and they find themselves pursued by bloodthirsty creatures. As their friendships deteriorate, they find themselves in a desperate struggle to survive the creatures and each other.

Jurek(pl)

This documentary follows the feats of high-altitude climber Jerzy Kukuczka and his ascent to higher heights before his death in 1989.

Metamorfosi(it)

Metamorfosi is a veritable dance ballet on the rocks, performed by a great climber, Patrick Berhault, set on the picturesque French Riviera and the Lingurian coast. Berhault's movements, in the sea, in caves, on rocks and precipices, are extremely difficult but are above all executed to give the movement an aesthetic value. Matemorfosi is the story of a cycle without words, told with gestures and music. Climber Monica Dalmasso also participates in the film.

Wide Boyz II – Slender Gentlemen(en)

After their success climbing the world’s hardest offwidth, the Wide Boyz, Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall, embark on their next crack climbing mission. This time their sights are set on the thinner end of the crack climbing spectrum. Their goal is the mighty Cobra Crack in Squamish BC, considered to be the hardest finger crack in the world. First climbed by Canadian ‘rock star’ Sonnie Trotter after battling it out with Didier Berthod, the route hit the media spotlight in the film First Ascent. With no local hard cracks to train on, the Wide Boyz refit their underground training dungeon and commit to a year of torturous finger training. With only a short trip to Canada planned, the Boyz face their biggest challenge yet against the sharp granite bite of the mighty Cobra Crack!

Miracle on Everest(en)

2006 was one of the deadliest Everest seasons on record. Experienced mountaineer Lincoln Hall was invited to join an expedition as a high altitude cameraman. It was his second attempt to summit the mountain, having turned back just short 22 years earlier. Shortly after reaching the summit, Hall began to behave irrationally, suffering from lack of oxygen. Aided by his loyal Sherpas for over 9 hours, he eventually collapsed and they declared him dead. His family were informed and the news hit headlines. But something happened that night that science cannot explain. The next morning Lincoln Hall was found alive by approaching climbers and his dramatic rescue began. Never before has a man been declared dead so high on Everest and survived. This is the remarkable true story of Lincoln Hall’s extraordinary journey back from beyond.

Stelvio: Crossroads of Peace(it)

Die Zeit meines Lebens - Dirty Dancing in Ost und West(de)

In 1987, a small film distributor from Frankfurt/Main brings the film "Dirty Dancing" to West German cinemas against all negative odds. The film becomes the hit of the year, in complete contrast to France, where foreign films have a hard time against the local film landscape.

Stars at Noon(fr)

Les Etoiles de Midi is an engaging docudrama about some of the more spectacular exploits of French mountain climbers over the last several decades. In one re-enacted story, there is a wartime escape through the mountains, and in another, a daring rescue of a pair of climbers who had been missing. The actors themselves are adept at the sport of climbing, and they give the scenes an immediacy and real daring that brings the stories alive. A combination of their acrobatics and skill and the outstanding episodes in the history of French climbing creates a winning 78 minutes.

Touching the Void(en)

The true story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates' disastrous and nearly-fatal mountain climb of 6,344m Siula Grande in the Cordillera Huayhuash in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.

Light(en)

Documentary about eating disorders among professional climbers

King Lines(en)

King Lines follows Chris Sharma on his search for the planet's greatest climbs. From South American fantasy boulders to the sweeping limestone walls of Europe, Sharma finds and climbs the hardest, most spectacular routes. Off the coast of Mallorca he discovers his most outrageous project yet, a 70 foot arch rising from the Mediterranean Sea...

Spring(ru)

This is a story about a city guy Nikolai, who will have to go instead of his friend on a rural business trip. A series of funny events, meetings and the beauty of the Yakut village encourage Nikolai to make an important decision in his life…

War(en)

Poor Boyz Productions declares "War" with this ski world in a battle to produce the best ski film for the 2005 season.

Saved by the Belle(en)

The stooges are traveling salesmen stranded in Valeska, a tropical country prone to earthquakes. Having no luck selling fur coats to the natives they are arrested when they receive a telegram instructing them to "get rid of present wardrobe" and an official thinks they are planning to assassinate president Ward Robey. With the help of Rita, a beautiful revolutionary, the boys escape a firing squad, and are sent on a mission to deliver important plans to the revolutionary leader. When they deliver a rolled up calendar by mistake, they are once again heading for a firing squad but are spared when Rita arrives with the real plans.

Roaring Currents: The Road of the Admiral(ko)

The staff of "The Admiral: Roaring Currents", the biggest film of all time at the South-Korean box office, has assembled once again for a documentary. Critically acclaimed director KIM Han-min and his team delves into the actual background, prelude, and preparations of Admiral YI Sun-sin in 1597 and how the admiral’s battle plans have won him his most remarkable victory throughout his career.

Shamshera(hi)

Set in the 1800s, the film is about a "dacoit" tribe who take charge in fight for their rights and independence against the British.

Panda(da)

Jacob’s dream is to be a rap artist, so he works on a song that will give him the big breakthrough. To his big frustration, his dreams are tested every time his roomie Adam gets a visit from his girlfriend Frederikke. And through a journey of unforeseen events Jacob meets additional challenges that test his working discipline.

Sfumato(fa)

A documentary about a rural family in Iran that has two teenage daughters, with their oldest child working to help the family. Together they face difficulties and obstacles, especially because she uses a motorcycle for work which is forbidden for women.

Brothers in Arms(en)

John Kerry and his Mekong Delta Navy fastboat unit in Vietnam get together to relive their past and visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

Haunted House(en)

Teenagers try to clear a friend accused of murder.

Tokyo Booty Nights(ja)

Yuji and Akiko are newlyweds. Yuji dreams of being a movie star. He lands the lead role in a Pink Eiga soft-core sex film. The director requires him to have sex with the actress. Akiko goes to her high school reunion and is raped by a drunken guy, and then hooks up with her ex-high school love. A dark and comedic look at contemporary relationships and the pitfalls of married life. The story was written by Locarno International Film Festival, Golden Leopard Prize Winner, Masahiro Kobayashi. (Pink Eiga)

Our Street Was Paved with Gold(en)

Filmmaker Albert Kish revisits Montreal's St Lawrence Boulevard in the '70s. The street, also known as "The Main," is a little Europe with many languages, foods and small courtesies that make a stranger feel at home.

Besøgsvennen(da)

A robber on the run from the police hides out in the wild nature when he discovers a lonely house and the old woman living inside. She invites him in for coffee and against all odds they form an unlikely alliance.

School for Swingers(de)

A pseudo-documentary story about what happens behind dance school walls.

Liberation: The Break Through(ru)

A grandiose military film epic, which does not know analogues in world cinema: the history of the Great Patriotic War from the Battle of the Kursk Bulge to the installation of the Banner of Victory over the Reichstag - "Liberation".

The Point(en)

This documentary is a portrait of Point St. Charles, one of Montreal’s notoriously bleak neighbourhoods. Many of the residents are English-speaking and of Irish origin; many of them are also on welfare. Considered to be one of the toughest districts in all of Canada, Point St. Charles is poor in terms of community facilities, but still full of rich contrasts and high spirits – that is, most of the time.

Rudy(en)

Set in the heart of rural England, Rudy finds her relationship with her father being tested. Stuck as a proxy parent to her younger siblings and dealing with a recent loss, she feels increasingly pushed out when her home gets opened up to a paying guest. Through a newfound friendship with a boy from Coventry, she discovers fun, freedom and autonomy, but is it at the sacrifice of unspoken family wounds?

The Clown and Automobile(en)

The clown and his automobile enters with great puffs of smoke

Transition 89(en)

Directed by Lia

Nicholas’ Gift(en)

Fact based drama about an American couple on vacation in Italy in 1994 with their two children who are attacked and shot by highway bandits. Shortly they discover that their son is brain dead. The parents are then faced with the hard decision to donate the boy's organs which ultimately led to saving the lives of seven seriously ill Italian patients.