Touching the Void (2003)

The true story of two climbers and their perilous journey up the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.

Director:

Kevin Macdonald

Writer:

Joe Simpson (book)

Stars:

Simon Yates, Joe Simpson, Brendan Mackey

8 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Brendan Mackey	...	Joe Simpson
Nicholas Aaron	...	Simon Yates
Richard Hawking	...	Self
Joe Simpson	...	Self
Simon Yates	...	Self
Ollie Ryall	...	Richard Hawking

Storyline

In 1985 two friends, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, set out to climb Siula Grande in Peru via the West Face, a hitherto unaccomplished feat by any climber. After a tough ascent they succeed but on the descent they run into significant problems. Soon they are both in dire danger and the chances of surviving are slim.

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Plot Keywords:

mountaineering | aerial camera shot | rope | crevasse | climbing | 

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Taglines:

The closer you are to death. The more you realize you are alive.

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Genres:

Documentary | Adventure | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the end of the movie, there's a written line claiming that Simon faced "strong criticism" from the climbing community after his return to England. This claim has been repeated in several press statements and reviews, but it's not correct. What really happened is that, one month after his return in Europe, Simon went climbing in the Alps, unaware that the Daily Mail newspaper had published a wildly incorrect version of the Siula story, implying that Simon had tried to kill Joe. This was of course absurd, and the British climbing community dismissed it immediately as nonsense. However, back home Simon discovered that a small group of senior members of the Mount Everest Foundation (the body that manages founding for climbing expeditions in the Greater Ranges) had misjudged the story and now wanted Simon excluded in the future from the MEF funds - a move that could basically kill Simon's climbing career. At this point however, Joe Simpson had a correct version of the Siula story published in a respected climbing magazine, and the whole issue was cleared. However, in the DVD commentary, Joe Simpson himself clearly says that Simon came under much criticism after returning home, and that he wrote Touching the Void to defend Simon.

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Goofs

Joe wears a model of Cebe glacier glasses that didn't enter production until 2001.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Joe Simpson: We climb cause it's fun.

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Crazy Credits

During the first part of the closing credits (before the crawl), the credits are accompanied by black-and-white pictures showing the three men's journey back into civilization; the final picture is of Joe in the hospital.

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Connections

Referenced in The 50 Greatest Documentaries (2005)

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Soundtracks

Spem in Alium
Written by Thomas Tallis
Performed by King's College Choir

User Reviews

eye-opening

Even for those who cannot understand why anyone would attempt to risk their life to climb a peak that most will never even know about, this film is a true eye-opener. It will show you the part of climbing that many amateurs such as I will only read about..and now, through dramatic reenactments as described by the survivors, see in this film. The beauty of the mountain is juxtaposed in tense dramatic fashion by the two climbers struggle to survive. In pitting human against nature, it will force the viewer to confront themselves with the fundamental principle of American culture--the morality of self-interested, rational behavior. As the law prof reviewer suggested, you may come away from this film with a different outlook on "acceptable" behavior in an ethical sense.

Details

Official Sites:

IFC Films [United States]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 March 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Touching the Void

Filming Locations:

Peru

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$96,973, 25 January 2004

Gross USA:

$4,593,598

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$13,904,795

Company Credits

Production Co:

FilmFour, UK Film Council, Darlow Smithson Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1