Released on December 31st soon! Why MERU resonates deeply with people who don't know the mountains

No, it was interesting. By chance, I was able to watch the mountain documentary film "MERU," which will be released on New Year's Eve this year, and right after seeing it, it was a masterpiece that made me feel like I couldn't help but introduce it. This time, I would like to write about the highlights while being careful not to spoil it. This article is not for promotional purposes, but is written in the hope that this movie will reach as many people as possible as possible as possible.

A valuable documentary that captures the first guide to the world's most difficult route on camera

What kind of image do you think of when you hear the word "mountain documentary"?

One of the world's leading alpinists taking on unexplored routes, magnificent scenery, harsh environments and difficult routes, hopeless situations that come along the way, and a decisive decision to make between life and death... The many incidents and stimulating footage that we, as we normally do "safe" climbing, are unimaginable, and will surely come to the point with surprise and impact.

In that sense, one of the great highlights of this film is its first aspect of its documentary footage, which captures precious moments.

The setting of this time, Meru Central Peak (approx. 6,250m), is one of three peaks that form the Meru (6,600m), a high peak in the Himalayas of India. Gangotri, a village at the foot of Meru, is located in the source basin of the sacred Ganges River, and is one of the most sacred Hindu places visited by many pilgrims and tourists from within and outside India. The video also shows how many pilgrims pass each other. The towering Meru is a sacred mountain and is the center of the universe, and has long been a support for people's faith as a place where heaven, earth and hell are intertwined together.

The Meru Central Peak itself was climbed in 2001 by Russian climber Valerie Babanov, but the climbing team aimed for a course that directly passes through a rock wall known as the Sharks Fin, which is also known as the sharp-blade rock. Even in the 21st century (2008), it was an unprecedented, extremely difficult route that has continued to reject many of the world's finest climbers over 20 times.

What is the reason why Conrad Anchor, the leader of the climbing team and world-class alpinist, made it the "world's most difficult route"? Generally, factors that make the difficulty of climbing a mountain route include technical difficulties with rock and ice walls, topographical difficulties (elevation, route distance, wall height, wind, snow and glaciers), weather stability, and resource-related issues such as whether or not you can get support from Sherpas in carrying loads, etc., but in the film, author John Krakaur describes Mellu's difficulty as "it's because it contains multiple elements."

The long route, with an altitude of 6,000 meters and an altitude difference of approximately 1,500 meters, is at the last 460 meters, and the core of the area with both ice and snow walls and rock walls. Therefore, since it is necessary to carry a huge amount of climbing gear that weighs over 20kg, it is impossible to climb quickly with lightweight equipment. Therefore, in the end, before we reach this point, we must carry up our total weight of nearly 100 kg, including food and climbing equipment, on our own. Furthermore, according to Mame Hirohito, one of the few Japanese people who have climbed Meru, the weather is almost always abruptly changing in the Gangotri Mountains. In other words, to conquer Sharks Fin, all of the skills, physical strength, knowledge, experience, teamwork and luck are required, so it has been a route that no one can climb for a long time.

This is a documentary film that uses two small cameras to capture this tingly difficult route and is extremely clear and realistic. The film was filmed by two members of the world-renowned mountaineer, professional photographer, director, and team member Jimmy Chin (pictured below) who helped film (that is, basically no filming crew!). It is true that there may not be any powerful and large-scale images like Everest 3D, but the climbing scenes in particular allow you to feel the beauty and breathability that can only be achieved by a front-line mountain photographer who captures the scenery that can only be seen by selected mountaineers, and the tense images captivate you.

The most notable highlight is beyond "mountain" and "documentary."

However, the highlights mentioned above are only the entrance to this film. In a "normal" mountain documentary, as seen in many cases, it is a common-sense scenario to focus on "how you climbed this precious first ascent," but if that were all that, this film would be interesting, but wouldn't have been this impressive. Above all, this film struck the hearts of the general public (who don't climb) enough to win an audience award at the Sundance Film Festival because it simply states that it sheds light on the very way of life that each member had in mind: "Why did they come to climb?"

Conrad lives in order to overcome and overcome the will of his master (mentor) and partner; Jimmy inherits the will of Conrad and chooses the mountain as a place to burn his life; and Rennan lives in the sole support of Meru Kantō as his only support in order to recover from an accident. The strength of a person who has made a decision. The strength of the team is born from trusting each other.

In the first half of the main story, Conrad is asked, "Why do you want to climb the mountain?" and lies, "View." But it's clear if you look at it that's not what you really want. It is clear that each member is hit by a variety of unexpected events as they interact with Meru. And as everyone struggles to overcome these things, they will truly and powerfully fulfill their lives through Meru. From this image, it becomes clear that the general theory is "reasons to climb the mountain" is meaningless. All that exists is that this mountain is an extension of each life.

As I relive my life like this, I realize that I am overlapping my feelings with them. This is where we learn that this film is not just a mountain documentary, but a documentary about a human face-to-face with his life head on. This film asks everyone who watches this film, "Are you standing here now, the inevitable of your choice?" and quietly pushes you. The ending is incredibly adorable.

Try to fully enjoy the drama, where these are gradually revealed, with interviews with family and friends who are swayed by those around them (and still understand with love), carefully woven through interviews with family and friends.

At this point, this is the only place I can write, but it is also a very deep documentary packed with deep insights about humans. This is a must-see for mountain lovers and movie lovers, and is also recommended for everyone who lives a daily life that has no answers every day!

"MERU"
[Release date] Saturday, December 31, 2016
[Director] Jimmy Chin/Elizabeth C. Basahily
[Produced by Elizabeth C. Basahily [Produced by Elizabeth C. Basahily/Jimmy Chin/Shannon Earthridge
[Photo] Rennan Ozturk/Jimmy Chin
/Edited by Bob Eisenhart ace
[Music] J. Ralph
[Starring] Conrad Anchor/Jimmy Chin/Rennan Ozturk/Jon Krakawer/Jenny Low Anchor/Jeremy Jones and others
[Official website] http://meru-movie.jp/
© 2015 Meru Films LLC All Rights Reserved.