Touching the Void (2003) is a thoroughly captivating survival documentary that tells the true story of two British climbers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, and their ill-fated 1985 attempt to conquer the West Face of Siula Grande in the Cordillera Huayhuash in the Peruvian Andes.
The film chronicles Simpson and Yates' grueling ascent and successful summit, before their descent devolves into a nightmare after Simpson suffers a devastating leg injury. Yates is forced to lower his friend from the treacherous mountain face using ropes, until a fierce storm and series of mishaps lead to a heart-wrenching decision for Yates. He is left to choose between cutting the rope to save himself, condemning Simpson to near certain death, or desperately continue to hold on and risk both their lives.
Based on Simpson's 1988 book of the same name and directed by Scottish filmmaker Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, The Mauritanian), Touching the Void is a searing exploration of the human spirit. Interweaving interviews with the climbers, reenactments of their harrowing experience and breathtaking footage of the Andes mountains, it's an eye-opening recapitulation of two men's extraordinary camaraderie—and the absolute limits of human endurance.
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