News

Mountains inspire artists across the world

24.12.2014

From the striking landscapes of the Himalayas to the stunning green pastures of the European Alps, mountains star in a wide range of movies, films and documentaries produced in 2014. This year several film festivals across the globe showcased mountains to highlight the importance of preserving the environments and improving the wellbeing of their inhabitants.

The gatherings were also designed to promote sustainable tourism in mountain regions, already major destinations, having attracted around 15 percent of the world’s tourists in 2013 as their scenic views, cultural diversity and spiritual inspiration have for decades. Here we wish to take a look at some of the films and documentaries that festival audiences saw this year. In particular, the following selections show unique aspects of nature and societies in mountains to inspire action that leads to a more sustainable future.

The 2014 winner of the Banff Mountain Film Festival is Valley Uprising, a 90-minute documentary about climbing in Yosemite National Park, traces the roots of the outdoor sporting activity.

The sixth edition of the La cinémathèque d'images de montagne featured films and documentaries illustrating extraordinary paragliding adventures over the Karakorum Range exploring cultural diversity on the way to Kilimanjaro. Each film presents inspiring stories of mountain sports to raise awareness about mountain areas and the need to protect them for future generations.

Held alongside the 2014 United Nations climate change conference, the Inkafest Mountain Film Festival, organized by Mountain & Culture, bought leading filmmakers and producers to Lima, Peru, to showcase films and documentaries that celebrate, among other things, nature, culture and sports in mountains. This year’s winner, K2: Siren of the Himalayas, follows a group of world-class climbers as they experience adventure, danger and serenity while summiting the second highest peak in the world.

The Think Forward Film Festival featured thought-provoking short films and documentaries on issues related to sustainability and climate change. The jury awarded first place to a short animation film, Fosca Liebre, for its powerful portrayal and universal appeal of the need to protect Mother Earth. Fundacion CoMunidad, a Mountain Partnership member based in Panama, received a special mention for its documentary, La Gota Más Importante, for blending expert and everyday testimonies addressing the complexities of climate change.

In addition to the films screened during various festivals, 2014 also saw the unveiling of noteworthy movies and documentaries, such as:

-La Storia di Cino by world renowned mountain filmmaker Carlo Alberto Pinelli, who depicts a magical journey through the European Alps;

-Beyond the Heights, a documentary based on the true story of the first Pakistani woman to reach the ‘top of the world’; and

-The Mountain Music Project, a documentary about the quest of two musicians, comparing the musical tradition of the Appalachian Mountains in the United States to that of the Himalayas in Nepal.

Mountains are the settings – seen through the lenses of filmmakers, documentarians and videographers – of dramatic and moving tales of perseverance, audacity and humility. While highlighting the extraordinary appeal mountains hold for humanity, these visual stories emphasize the urgent need to raise awareness about and inspire the sustainable development of mountain regions. We wish to close the year by congratulating all film and video makers who allowed audiences worldwide to experience rare and spectacular views of mountain regions and communities.