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The Summit

  • 2012
  • R
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
5.2K
YOUR RATING
The Summit (2012)
The story of the deadliest day on the world's most dangerous mountain, when 11 climbers mysteriously perished on K2.
Play trailer1:28
1 Video
13 Photos
Documentary

The story of the deadliest day on the world's most dangerous mountain, when 11 climbers mysteriously perished on K2.The story of the deadliest day on the world's most dangerous mountain, when 11 climbers mysteriously perished on K2.The story of the deadliest day on the world's most dangerous mountain, when 11 climbers mysteriously perished on K2.

  • Director
    • Nick Ryan
  • Writer
    • Mark Monroe
  • Stars
    • Christine Barnes
    • Hoselito Bite
    • Walter Bonatti
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.8/10
    5.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Nick Ryan
    • Writer
      • Mark Monroe
    • Stars
      • Christine Barnes
      • Hoselito Bite
      • Walter Bonatti
    • 39User reviews
    • 59Critic reviews
    • 63Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 5 nominations

    Videos1

    Theatrical Trailer
    Trailer 1:28
    Watch Theatrical Trailer

    Photos13

    The Summit (2012)
    The Summit (2012)
    The Summit (2012)
    The Summit (2012)
    The Summit (2012)
    The Summit (2012)
    John Battsek, Mark Monroe, Nick Ryan, Darrell Kavanagh, David Torpey, and Pemba Gyalje Sherpa at an event for The Summit (2012)
    Pemba Gyalje Sherpa at an event for The Summit (2012)
    Nick Ryan at an event for The Summit (2012)
    Nick Ryan at an event for The Summit (2012)
    The Summit (2012)
    The Summit (2012)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Christine Barnes
    • Cecilie Skog
    Hoselito Bite
    • Climber
    Walter Bonatti
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Marco Confortola
    • Climber
    Pat Falvey
    • Self - Climber
    Niall Foley
    • Fredrik Strang…
    Stefan Grossniklaus
    • Lars Nessa
    Pasang Lama
    • Climber
    Tshering Lama
    • Climber
    Gerard McDonnell
    • Self - Climber
    • (archive footage)
    J.J. McDonnell
    • Self - Ger's Brother
    Hristo Mitzkov
    • Marco Confortola
    • (as Christo Mitzkov)
    Johannes Moser
    • Rolf Bae
    Lars Nessa
    • Climber
    Damien O'Brien
    • Climber
    Lochlann O'Mearáin
    Lochlann O'Mearáin
    • Ger McDonnell
    • (as Lochlainn O'Mearain)
    Garrett Philipps
    • Wilco van Rooijen
    Chhiring Dorje Sherpa
    • Climber
    • Director
      • Nick Ryan
    • Writer
      • Mark Monroe
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Won Best Feature film at 2013 BANFF film festival. The award was accepted on behalf of the film makers by Norwegian adventurer Cecilie Skog, who is featured in the film.
    • Crazy credits
      The title of the movie does not show until about 15 minutes into the film.

    User reviews39

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Powerful cure for mountain-climbing craving.
    "He discovers things about his own body and mind that he had almost forgotten in the day-to-day, year-to-year routine of living." James Ramsey Ullman, High Conquest.

    I don't know about you, but if I were approaching the "death zone" while mountain climbing, I'd turn back. However, you can bet the heroes of the documentary, The Summit, hiking the world's second biggest and most difficult mountain (it defeats 1 out of every 4 climbers), K2, had no such thoughts. The Summit won the Sundance World Cinema documentary award this year.

    More interesting than the physical exploits is the rationale for doing such a dangerous sport in the first place. Yet, such psychoanalyzing is not a matter for The Summit, a thrilling doc long on the difficult climb and more difficult decisions while fates are decided in sometimes inscrutable and random ways. It's short on the motivation, which pretty much is accepted these days as, "because it's there."

    Eleven climbers of 25 lost their lives that day in 2008 without an adequate explanation for any of the deaths. However this thesis is proved once more: Most lives in climbing are lost on the descent. The film has a fragmented, multiple-points-of-view (think of a climbing Rashomon) approach that cuts among the several players and history while featuring a couple of the more charismatic climbers, especially Ger McDonnell, whose death is the most difficult to understand even as he's touted for his alleged attempt to save 3 Korean climbers.

    This discursive storytelling can be confusing while it saps the thrust of the inherently intriguing story. The many re-enactments drain the film of its immediate "what-the" doc impact. The film retains some of the awe we all feel when in the presence of such a manifestation of Nature's power:

    "You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
    helpful•11
    3
    • JohnDeSando
    • Oct 20, 2013

    Top picks

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 22, 2013 (Ireland)
    • Countries of origin
      • Ireland
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Döden på K2
    • Filming locations
      • K2, Karakoram Mountain Range, Pakistan(Aerial Sequences)
    • Production companies
      • Image Now
      • Fantastic Films
      • Passion Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $1,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $243,550
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $20,904
      • Oct 6, 2013
    • Gross worldwide
      • $277,651
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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