Statement of Youth
At the start of the 80’s sport climbing was in its embryonic stages. Bolted routes were beginning to make a regular appearance, indoor climbing walls as we know them nowadays had not yet been invented and there was no such thing as being a pro athlete. During that period standards rose exponentially, from 7b+ as the cutting edge to 9a becoming the new world standard at the end of the ’80’s. In such a short period the sport changed beyond recognition and, in Britain, was fuelled by a small group of climbers who would do anything to climb full-time: sleeping in sheds underneath crags, shoplifting for food and clothes, and living off unemployment benefits. As illustrated in this film directed by Nick Brown, these climbers were living outside the rest of society and went on to become the most influential figures in the history of British sport climbing.
Portrait Of a Climber
An observational peice about an individuals connection to the sport of climbing, showing their expericence.
Pyreneism Yesterday And Today
The word Pyreneism was invented by the writer Henri Beraldi at the end of the 19th century. Its definition did not come down to a simple practice of mountaineering in the Pyrenees. To be recognized as a Pyrenean, it was necessary to “ascend, write and feel”. An approach to the mountains, according to him, necessarily accompanied by an artistic or intellectual activity. This documentary looks back at the Pyrenees who have left their mark on history, before interviewing contemporary mountain dwellers who, through their mountain practice, consider themselves, or not, Pyreneanists. What prompted Beraldi to coin this term? Does it result from a Pyrenean complex facing the Alps? Chauvinism or a demand for identity? And today, does this word still have meaning? Beyond the reflection on the subject, this film is a wonderful tribute to the massif.
MUGA
In MUGA, world-renowned climber Ashima Shiraishi steps into the ancient granite of Switzerland’s Ticino Valley, where every hold and ripple in the rock tells a story millions of years in the making. As the boundaries between self and stone dissolve, she enters muga—a liminal state free from attachment, expectation, and desire. Here she finds the space not just to climb, but simply to be.
Des Blocs En Valais
Boulders in Valais presents the canton of Valais in Switzerland, its bouldering climbing spots and some of its historical and current actors and driving forces including Lucien Abbet, Benoît Dorsaz, Fred Nicole, Dave Graham... Frédéric and François Nicole gives us spectacular demonstrations of this sport, showing us routes like "Radja", the world's first 8b+. A topo-video part contains 28 climbing sites with a geographical map, and more than 160 video sequences for as many chosen blocks... more than 2h30 of climbing.
Dirty Bird, The Derek Hersey Story
Blocheads
Never before have there been so many indoor walls; so many climbers obsessed with training; so many beasts of superhuman strength. That talent is not going to waste. We follow the fearsomely strong Blocheads as they quest for new lines and push the limits of human ability. It’s a story of adventure, rocky passions and mutant fingers. It’s the story of a search for bouldering gold.
The Network
It's not a website. It's not an internet forum. It's not spray, beta, or slander. It's not a text message or a tick mark or a tick list or a film. It's all those things. This year, Red Bull and Chuck Fryberger Films have teamed up to bring you a glimpse inside an elite network of athletes who live their lives to train, compete, explore, and inspire by pushing their limits on the hardest climbing in the world. The best climbers in the world are all connected in a constant cycle of training, preparation, competition, and outdoor challenges. The Network connects both past and present - bouldering, sport, and competition climbing - and this cutting-edge film tangles the viewer inside the spider web of connections that makes up the world of the professional rock climber. Join 6-time world cup champion Killian Fischhuber as he and the best in the game explore areas old and new for adventures, lifestyle, and some of the hardest moves in the world.
The Future of Climbing
With the proliferation of private climbing gyms and the sport's inclusion in the Olympic Games, climbing, long a counter-cultural movement, is undergoing a profound transformation and facing a major paradox. On the one hand, private gyms are enjoying increasing popularity, while on the other, natural climbing sites are under serious threat. What vertical legacy will we leave to future generations? Is outdoor climbing destined to disappear? What will the future hold for climbing? Led by Cédric Lachat, a multi-award-winning Swiss climber, the film provides an international overview of this counter-culture, which has recently become a social phenomenon.
Pure
PURE is 19 extraordinary climbers in six countries on three continents; Nalle Hukkataival: This young climber from Finland spent his time on the World Cup circuit and now focuses on climbing some of the toughest rocks on the planet. Kevin Jorgeson: Exclusive footage of his first solo ascents in California. A unique perspective on the mental control needed to solo and the re-education needed when making a mistake. Kilian Fischhuber: Winner of the 2008 Men's Bouldering World Cup. Anna Stoehr: Aged 20, she won the 2008 Women's Bouldering World Cup. Fred Nicole: The legend of bouldering, author of achievements in hardest boulders in the world. The leader and grandmaster of the sport. Cody Roth: Enthusiastic about climbing just about anything, he achieves breathtaking first ascents here from Rocklands to Europe.
Africa Fusion
Alex Honnold and Hazel Findlay head to Southern Africa for an experience of a lifetime. Africa Fusion takes us from the breathtaking orange granite and vast landscapes of Namibia, through the desert and across to lush red sandstone of Waterval Boven in South Africa. Carrying on the journey in South Africa we follow Alex and Hazel North to the wild and remote Blouberg (Blue Mountain) range. From the North we then journey far South to Cape Town, where Alex and Hazel explore a city crowned in mountains, from rock face to rock face. Their odyssey reveals surprising treasures and world-class climbing – while experiencing the joy of the journey along the way. Join them as they uncover these hidden gems in unforgettable settings.
Hold On
A climber tries to complete his route. He stumbles upon a seemingly unconquerable obstacle, can he overcome it?
No Comment
No Comment portrays the top climbers and young talents of the scene in both bouldering and route climbing with spectacular cinematography. It doesn't just show the hardest problems, it's also about climbing as a lifestyle and those who have shaped the scene from the beginning, such as Ben Moon, Jerry Moffat and Gerhard Hörhager. It also showcases the young talents like David Lama, Luca Zardini, Markus Bock and Michael Mayr introducing a new generation of super athletes, their philosophy and the way they live their lives. The film features an original soundtrack by10 Tyrolean musicians.
Masters of Stone V
Yet more American climbing mayhem. Speed big wall soloing by Dean Potter, Dan Osman's world record rope jump, slack lining. Dean Potter is a human acetylene torch, burning down the walls of the, "impossible." Potter's raw power, emotional intensity and deadly commitment reveal a terrifying world at the outer edge of human ability. Steph Davis is beautiful, brilliant and bold...free-soloing 5.12 and 5.11+ on red desert sandstone. Dan Osman's fatal final adventure must be seen to be believed. Hanging by fingertips 3000 feet off the ground with no rope or safety gear, tip-toeing a one-inch strip of nylon across a 120 foot-wide chasm, leaping off cliffs with laughter and fury, Potter and his friends deliver a whole new level of climbing action, set to a high-quality, adrenaline-pounding soundtrack featuring Metallica.
The Players
The Players are the best American athletes of the modern rock-climbing era. Dave Graham, Chris Sharma, Emily Harrington, Daniel Woods, Lisa Rands, Joe Kinder, Alex Puccio, Chris Lindner, and Ethan Pringle each embody the progression of their sport. This showcase of action-packed HD footage reveals each player’s ability to make climbing at the pinnacle of their sport a daily routine. Featuring all disciplines of climbing, this is your chance to witness the swagger behind each players' style and explore the lifestyles they are pioneering all across the globe.
Resistance Climbing
In 2014, during a trip, American Tim Bruns discovered cliffs in a small village five minutes north of Ramallah in Palestine and got to work equipping all the easy routes, then setting up climbing routes so that we can start teaching people how to climb. Bruns and Harris also opened Wadi Climbing, the first indoor climbing gym in Palestine. Today, gathered in the conflict-torn hills of Palestine, a diverse team of Bedouins, activists and urban professionals have embraced climbing as a much-needed respite from the burden of Israeli occupation. American writer and climber Andrew Bisharat visits the West Bank to explore his own roots and the power of climbing to transform lives. This documentary is part of the Reel Rock 17 series released in 2023.
Western Gold
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.
La Lumière du Rocher
Karma, Hopes and Dreams in the Boulderfields of Nepal
The Khumbu region of Nepal, home of the world's biggest mountains and the backdrop for generations of mountain climbers' dreams, is the stage for a whole new generation of visionaries. A dozen individuals, both American and Nepali, some of them among the highest ranked climbers in the world, join forces to explore the possibilities of bouldering in this breathtaking land. Witness the magic that unravels as each of them discovers the landscape, the history, the customs, the people, and of course, the boulders. Featuring Adam Stack, Lizzy Asher, Justin Bourque, and Janet Bergman. A film by Brian Solano and Tim Kemple.
Opera Vertical
Vertical Opera is a documentary film directed by Jean-Paul Janssen, with climbers Patrick Edlinger and Jean-Paul Lemercier in the Gorges du Verdon. The film opens with a training sequence of Patrick Edlinger then he links the routes with Jean-Paul Lemercier "L'Ange en décongelation" (7a), in which he falls voluntarily to demonstrate the usefulness of the rope, then "Le Septième Saut" (7b+). Finally, the final scene, an anthology, consists of a close-up of Edlinger who climbs free solo and barefoot the route "Débiloff", still in the Verdon, above hundreds of meters of void, all to lyrical music. It is "Wie Furchtsam Wankten Meine Schritte", the aria for alto voice from Johann Sebastian Bach's cantata BWV 33, music not unrelated to the subject of the documentary: "How faltering and fearful my steps were".