K2. Touching the Sky

Synopsis

Hanna wasn't born yet when her father came crashing to his death in 1986. He was attempting to conquer the notoriously dangerous K2, the second-highest mountain on earth. Łukasz was four when his mother died on the same mountain; Chris and Lindsay’s mom was the first British woman to reach the summit of K2, but she didn’t return, either. During the “Black Summer of 1986,” some 10 other climbers perished as well. Almost 30 years later, director Eliza Kubarska traveled with Chris, Lindsay, Łukasz and Hanna to the plateau where the fatal climbs began. Are they able to comprehend the lure of the mountain? If so, can it help them accept their loss? Despite everything, one of them has become a mountain climber himself. Kubarska has her own very personal reason for embarking on this enterprise, as she reveals at the start. She has been addicted to climbing for 18 years, and now she wants to have a child. But is it acceptable for a parent to take such risks? Archive footage of ascents and testimonies from survivors underline the passions and the dangers. While past and present draw ever closer to one another in this enchanting and intimidating landscape, Kubarska reflects on her own future, as a mountain climber and a potential mother.

Cast & Crew

Director

Eliza Kubarska

Festivals/awards

Alpine Camera in Gold - Graz
Grand Prix winner of Kendal Mountain Festivall
Best Film Mountain Culture Torello
Best Feature Film BANFF
Best Director award at Bilbao Mendi Festival
Golden Gentian Trento Film Festival

Locarno, Vancouver, IDFA Amsterdam,

Film Info

Production Company

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