I watched "THE ALPINIST" (no spoilers)

*Quote images are from the brochure

Recently, this movie has been very popular with reviews on Twitter and other mountain-related topics, so I went to see it because it was right at the right time.

This is an unconventional documentary called "Solo Alpinism," which follows Mark Andre Leclerc, a Canadian mountaineer who was probably the most dangerous and difficult challenge in modern times, but was almost completely unknown to the world until then.

Produced by Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen of Sender Films. Their trustworthy duo have captured numerous big climbers on film, including Woolly Steck and Alex Honnold, but for me, young people who were influenced by the hippie culture of the 1970s were called "The Stonemasters," and later created the culture of free climbing, "Valley Uprising," which left me the most memorable thing about their works. One reason for this is that I was able to learn about the sources of North American outdoor culture that I had influenced through thorough interviews, but I was shocked that despite the fact that it was a more educational theme that unravels history, the old footage was made into a wonderful, refreshing and stimulating "video works" that are even now viewed, thanks to its simplicity of editing and sophisticated music. It was heartwarming to see the numerous climbing legends who became grandpas talking lively about the time. The film seems to be unreleased at this time, but for some reason it seems that it can be seen here. If you haven't seen it yet, please do so.

This is the latest work created by the two of them, so I headed to the cinema on the first day of release, hoping for a rather crisp, refreshing work this time too.

First and foremost, the footage of Mark Andre's climbing scene was as expected, not so much as it would make you sweat, but rather thrilling and impressive. In "MERU" you can experience the alpine group, and in "Free Solo" you can experience the ultimate dangerous trio called "Free Solo Alpine" you can experience the ultimate dangerous trio that no one has ever seen before. In particular, the sight of people taking on mixed climbing (and on-site) between rocks and snow without a lifeline, and (probably) wearing gloves even though it's winter (and perhaps) with bare hands and two axes, making it a sight that people who have climbed winter mountains are hard to face. This alone is definitely worth watching in the theatre.

However, these impressive footage are not at the heart of this documentary. It was a good way to disappoint. This is not a story of a genius climber who has overcome difficulties by hard work and strong will and accomplished unprecedented feats, but about a simple, lonely artist who inevitably arrives at the mountains, purely pursuing a place where he can be himself. Set records that ordinary people would never imagine, Mark Andre says that climbing is "not about pushing the limits." So what? He seemed somehow lonely, but with a soft and gentle smile, he sighed, saying, "more entertainment and fun adventures." He also said, "The best mountain climbing for me is to climb alone without anything, so I chose this style." As someone who is an ordinary person who ends up being afraid of a little difficult route than charm, I can't empathize with him at all and can't empathize with him, but for some reason, his simple yet strong words really draw me in.

As people grow, they learn that they must live in some way with their own limits and society. If mountains and nature make life simpler and complicated, then perhaps it's Mark Andre who knows this better than anyone else and accepts it as an existential issue. Even if it is something that cannot be imitated on the surface, its innocent, unclouded lifestyle shines above all else and illuminates our eyes. This movie was able to be stimulating and stimulating. I think I can still not stop my adventure a little longer.

This is a rare opportunity to watch high-quality mountain documentary films on the big screen. If you're interested, be sure to visit the cinema.