Mountain: A Clarion Call

Director Jennifer Peedom garnered much acclaim and a BAFTA nomination for her 2015 Everest documentary, ‘Sherpa’. While that hard-hitting film was a trenchant critique of the Everest climbing industry and the struggles of the Sherpa community, her new film, ‘Mountain’ is an unbashed celebration of the world’s high places and the men and women who are drawn to them. In the new movie, Peedom follows all kinds of mountain athletes, including mountaineers, ice climbers, mountain bikers, snowboarders, wingsuiters, while trying to piece out why they do what they do, and also what it is about mountains that stirs the human soul so.   

Made from over 2,000 hours of footage from 15 countries, ‘Mountain’ promises to be quite an exhilarating viewing experience. Look at the talent involved. Apart from Peedom, the movie boasts of the amazing camera-work of the high altitude climber and cinematographer Renan Ozturk (he shot the haunting ‘Meru’), the words of the acclaimed travel writer Robert Macfarlane who wrote Mountains of the Mind narrated by actor Willem Defoe. The emotional kicks are delivered by the performance of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Richard Tognetti, who weaves the music of Vivaldi, Beethoven, Arvo Pärt and others in a score played live by the orchestra.

Our multi-year feature documentary collaboration ‘MOUNTAIN’ is ready to share, having its world premiere at the Sydney Opera House on June 12th! ~ This film explores the very nature of human attraction to the mountains. I don’t know if I can compare this to anything I’ve ever been a part of – it’s a cinematic and musical collaboration to be performed with a live score by the acclaimed @austchamberorchestra, whose fearless leader Richard Tognetti put together the music including Chopin, Grieg, Vivaldi, Beethoven and his own original compositions. ~ Very grateful have gotten the chance to work again with ‘Sherpa’ feature doc director @jenpeedom to shoot and collect the mountain cinematography from @camp4collective @sherpascinema @sanctityofspace and so many other talented sources for this. ~ To top it off, after doing many rounds of narration myself I was also greatly relieved when @willem.dafoe ‘s voice became the final puzzle piece to hugely elevate the film! ~ I’m not sure when it will be fully available for public consumption, but I’ll keep y’all posted! ~ “Only three centuries ago, setting out to climb a mountain would have been considered close to lunacy. The idea scarcely existed that wild landscapes might hold any sort of attraction. Mountains were places of peril, not beauty. An upper world to be shunned, not sought out. How then have mountains now come to hold us spellbound, drawing us into their dominion, often at the cost of our lives?” – celebrated British writer, Robert Macfarlane, who also wrote the VO for the film. Poster photo by @joeyschusler !!

A post shared by Renan Ozturk (@renan_ozturk) on May 31, 2017 at 4:47pm PDT

The movie will be touring Australia in August, with the Orchestra providing the live music. It promises to be some show. And while we wait for the movie to reach us, watch the trailer and weep at the beauty of mountains. For more information, visit mountainmovie.com.au/