Last night I went to see the German film, North Face: A True Story! It is based on the story of two German climbers, Toni Kurz and Andi Hinterstoisser, who attempted to scale Eiger’s North Face in 1936.
I was expecting an adventure and survival film, I definitely got it! The Eiger is an extremely famous mountain in the Swiss Alps, a 13,000 foot peak whose north face remained unclimbed until the 1930s. At that time it became famous for being the only unsolved climbing “problem” and the Nazis determined that German climbers should conquer the north wall in advance of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.
The climbing footage is extremely realistic, and there is a love story interwoven through the film. The romance isn’t fully developed in the film, and the producer’s main focus is on the climb.
Notorious for spontaneous rockfall, quickly shifting weather, and a sheer rock face, it isn’t surprising that over 64 climbers have died attempting Eiger’s north face. I won’t spoil the ending: history tells us the answer, and I’ll let you enjoy the suspense yourself!
Here is the list of locations and times of movie showings. There are several more screenings around the U.S. through April 2010. It came out in Europe last year, so it should be out on DVD over there.
It was showing at a local independent theater and subtitled in English. Some REI stores are showing the movie for free in early 2010.
Hiking Lady’s Recommendation: 5 of 5 stars
