Opéra Vertical

Revisiting the spectacular Himalayas on the route for ascension of Kangchenjunga Massif of 8.586m, the third highest peak of the world along with two Romanian climbers, part of an International expedition.

Every year, over a thousand climbers try to reach the summit of Mount Everest, with the annual record for successful attempts currently standing at 633. But of that number, nearly half were Sherpas - the mountain's unsung heroes. Yet the Sherpa community has remained secretive about their nation, culture and experiences living in the shadow of the world's highest mountain. Now, for the first time, they open the door into their world. Without the expertise of the Sherpas, only the hardiest and most skilful climbers would succeed. Every day they risk their lives for the safety of others, yet they seek neither glory nor reward, preferring to stay in the background. Following the stories of four such Sherpas - Phurba, Ngima, Ngima Tenji and Gelu - this film reveals the reality of their daily lives, not just up the mountain, but with their families after they return home.

Urban free climbers are a new breed of daredevils, young men and women who illegally climb cranes and buildings without any safety equipment, then hang from them, hundreds of metres above the ground, one slip from certain death... Free climbing originated in Eastern Europe, but has recently spread to Britain. James Kingston is a 23-year-old who lives with his mother near Southampton. In his spare time James scales the local 100m cranes and 200m radio towers. Now James embarks on a journey to the spiritual home of urban free climbing, Ukraine, where he teams up with the infamous Mustang Wanted, the craziest climber of them all. As Mustang and James explore Kiev, the pair push themselves to new extremes, climbing derelict buildings and tightrope-walking hundreds of metres above the city, before finally heading to the iconic Moscow bridge to attempt Mustang's latest death defying stunt. Don't Look Down is fascinating, revealing and nerve-wracking.

North Face tells the story of two German climbers Toni Kurz and Andreas Hinterstoisser and their attempt to scale the deadly North Face of the Eiger.

Among the last unclimbed peaks on earth there stands a little-known mountain in a remote region of China. Follow a climbing expedition as they make three attempts over the span of three years to summit the 6060-meter Yangmolong Mountain.

The Sharp End is an adrenaline-soaked journey up the world's most challenging walls: the French Alps, the Eiger, the Utah desert, the Diamond of Colorado, Indian Kashmir, Yosimite Granite, and the sandstone spires of the Czech Republic. Run-out routes, scary high-ball boulder problems, ice-covered alpine walls and all-or-nothing free-solo ascents will keep your palms perspiring.

2006 was one of the deadliest Everest seasons on record. Experienced mountaineer Lincoln Hall was invited to join an expedition as a high altitude cameraman. It was his second attempt to summit the mountain, having turned back just short 22 years earlier. Shortly after reaching the summit, Hall began to behave irrationally, suffering from lack of oxygen. Aided by his loyal Sherpas for over 9 hours, he eventually collapsed and they declared him dead. His family were informed and the news hit headlines. But something happened that night that science cannot explain. The next morning Lincoln Hall was found alive by approaching climbers and his dramatic rescue began. Never before has a man been declared dead so high on Everest and survived. This is the remarkable true story of Lincoln Hall’s extraordinary journey back from beyond.

An international team of climbers ascends Mt. Everest in the spring of 1996. The film depicts their lengthy preparations for the climb, their trek to the summit, and their successful return to Base Camp. It also shows many of the challenges the group faced, including avalanches, lack of oxygen, treacherous ice walls, and a deadly blizzard.

The story of the first ascent of Rhapsody at Dumbarton Rock, the world's first E11 and hardest traditional rock climb. Huge falls, injuries, tears and eventually success!

In this film, following in the footsteps of Patrick Edlinger, Christian and Olivier build the legendary roof of La Piade (Toulon, France) solo in deep water. Up to 18 m high, the two climbers are keen to work the route without a rope. The Piade site appears in the first minutes of the film “La Vie Au Bout Des Doigts” by Jean-Paul Janssen. At a height of 15m, after several summers of work, Olivier is one of the rare local climbers to have completed this route. Today, it is Christian who is taking on this same challenge. The two climbers are keen to work it without the help of a rope. After each fall, they must start the route from the beginning. Guided by his elder, the film recounts Christian's progression and success on the path. It is also the story of their friendship and the joy they share together, suspended, “at their fingertips”. Determined, Christian works the route in summer, as in winter, despite the sometimes unpredictable conditions.