IMDb > Touching the Void (2003)
Touching the Void
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Touching the Void (2003) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
8.1/10   10,701 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Kevin Macdonald
Writer:
Joe Simpson (book)
Contact:
View company contact information for Touching the Void on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 December 2003 (UK) more
Genre:
Documentary | Adventure | Drama | Sport more
Tagline:
The closer you are to death. The more you realize you are alive. more
Plot:
The true story of two climbers and their perilous journey up the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
5 wins & 7 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(10 articles)
Danny Boyle to Direct Stranded Mountaineer Story 127 Hours
 (From FilmJunk. 5 November 2009, 2:15 PM, PST)
Searchlight and Boyle Have '127' Hours To Go
 (From ioncinema. 5 November 2009)
User Comments:
Gripping from Start to Finish more (137 total)

Cast

  (in credits order)

Brendan Mackey ... Joe Simpson
Nicholas Aaron ... Simon Yates
Richard Hawking ... Himself
Joe Simpson ... Himself
Simon Yates ... Himself
Ollie Ryall ... Richard Hawking
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Directed by
Kevin Macdonald 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Joe Simpson  book

Produced by
Charles Furneaux .... executive producer
Robin Gutch .... executive producer
Gina Marsh .... line producer
John Smithson .... producer
Paul Sowerbutts .... associate producer
Sue Summers .... co-producer
Paul Trijbits .... executive producer
Paul Webster .... chief executive procuder: FilmFour
 
Original Music by
Alex Heffes 
 
Cinematography by
Mike Eley 
Keith Partridge 
 
Film Editing by
Justine Wright 
 
Casting by
Susie Figgis 
 
Production Design by
Patrick Bill 
 
Art Direction by
Patrick Bill 
 
Costume Design by
Patrick Bill 
 
Makeup Department
Sarita Allison .... makeup designer
 
Production Management
Emma Clarke .... executive in charge of production: film council
Peter McAleese .... executive in charge of production
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nick Laws .... first assistant director
 
Art Department
Giles Asbury .... storyboard artist
 
Sound Department
Tim Alban .... sound re-recording mixer
Robert Brazier .... foley editor
Felicity Cottrell .... foley artist
Richard Davey .... assistant sound re-recording mixer
Mick Duffield .... sound recordist
Anthony Faust .... adr foley mixer
Anthony Faust .... foley supervisor
Joakim Sundström .... supervising sound editor
Mark Kenna .... consultant: Dolby film sound (uncredited)
Mark Kenna .... consultant: dolby film sound (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Martin Neill .... special effects
 
Visual Effects by
Matthias Albrecht .... digital film editor
Simon Burley .... software and technical
Ben Haworth .... digital effects artist
 
Stunts
David Cuthbertson .... climbing stunt double
Rory Gregory .... climbing stunt double
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Oliver Driscoll .... second assistant camera
Olly Driscoll .... clapper loader
Christian Klehr .... grip
Ralph Kulike .... gaffer
Dan Shoring .... additional photographer
Dan Shoring .... first assistant camera
Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert .... unit photographer: Alps
Chris Thornton .... film recorder operator
Simon Wagen .... additional climbing photographer (as Simon Hagen)
 
Casting Department
Indira Ashton .... casting assistant
 
Editorial Department
Stephen Barker .... post-production consultant
Simon Brook .... on-line editor
Ben Lester .... assistant editor
Vincent Narduzzo .... colorist
Kevin Phelan .... head of post-production: Lip Sync Post
Jon Thompson .... post-production consultant
 
Music Department
Abi Leland .... music supervisor
Andy Richards .... score mixer
Bevan Smith .... composer: electronic music
 
Other crew
Olly Allen .... climbing support: Alps
Kim Ballard .... production financing
Christine Barnes .... climbing support: Alps
Christine Baxter-Jones .... production team
Hattie Bowering .... final delivery and release supervisor
Lesley Brown .... production team
Eduardo Shuán Caldúa .... climbing support: Peru
Melorie Chilton .... legal services for darlow smithson productions
Hugo Milla Chinchay .... climbing support: Peru
David Cuthbertson .... key mountain guide
David Cuthbertson .... safety team
Lucy Daniels .... production team
Regine Dura .... production team
John Falkiner .... key mountain guide
John Falkiner .... safety team
Michael Fleisher .... business affairs: Channel 4 International
Néstor Morales Flores .... trekking leader: Peru
Laura Franses .... physical production coordinator: FilmFour
Paul Gardner .... archive researcher
Rory Gregory .... key mountain guide
Rory Gregory .... safety team
Paul Grindey .... business affairs: FilmFour
Brian Hall .... head mountain guide
Nion Hazell .... production coordinator
Andrew Hildebrand .... business affairs: FilmFour
Vinnie Holden .... head of production finance: film council
Marcelino Milla Huarac .... climbing support: Peru
Vicky Jones .... business affairs: Channel 4
Jim Kerr .... climbing support: Alps
François Marsigny .... climbing support: Alps
Deborah McLaughlan .... production team
Jesús Montero .... production team
Paul Moores .... key mountain guide
Paul Moores .... safety team
Pelayo Milla Morales .... climbing support: Peru
Fiona Morham .... head of physical production: film council
Eloy Salazar Obregón .... climbing support: Peru
Rodolfo Reyes Oropeza .... climbing support: Peru
Emma Parsons .... production team
James Reekie .... production accountant
Dr. Martin Rhodes .... unit doctor
Tim Rhodes .... climbing support: Alps
Faye Richardson .... production team
Ollie Ryall .... climbing support: Alps
Juan Sánchez .... climbing support: Peru
Joe Simpson .... additional reconstruction
Joe Simpson .... consultant
Sally Steele .... film publicist
Gillian Strachan .... production team
Ulla Streib .... head of production: Darlow Smithson Productions
Gareth Tansey .... title designer
Harry Taylor .... key mountain guide
Harry Taylor .... safety team
Jorge Clemente Vargas .... climbing support: Peru
Howard Watkins .... title designer
John N. Whittle .... key mountain guide (as John Whittle)
John N. Whittle .... safety team (as John Whittle)
Marc Wolff .... aerial coordinator
Simon Yates .... additional reconstruction
Michael J. Harker .... completion bond company representative (uncredited)
 
Thanks
Richard Hawking .... thanks
Adrian Warren .... thanks
Paul Webster .... thanks
Marc Wolff .... thanks
Simon Yates .... thanks
Marc Ziegler .... thanks
 

Production CompaniesDistributorsSpecial EffectsOther Companies
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for language.
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
106 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Colour:
Colour
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Certification:
Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Germany:12 | Netherlands:MG6 | Singapore:NC-16 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R
Filming Locations:
Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France more
Company:
Darlow Smithson Productions more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
At the end of the movie, there's a written line claiming that Simon faced "strong criticism" from the climbing community after his return to England. This claim has been repeated in several press statements and reviews, but it's not correct. What really happened is that, one month after his return in Europe, Simon went climbing in the Alps, unaware that the Daily Mail newspaper had published a wildly incorrect version of the Siula story, implying that Simon had tried to kill Joe. This was of course absurd, and the British climbing community dismissed it immediately as nonsense. However, back home Simon discovered that a small group of senior members of the Mount Everest Foundation (the body that manages founding for climbing expeditions in the Greater Ranges) had misjudged the story and now wanted Simon excluded in the future from the MEF funds - a move that could basically kill Simon's climbing career. At this point however, Joe Simpson had a correct version of the Siula story published in a respected climbing magazine, and the whole issue was cleared. However, in the DVD commentary, Joe Simpson himself clearly says that Simon came under much criticism after returning home, and that he wrote Touching the Void to defend Simon. more
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: After Joe pulls the rope completely down while in the crevasse, the cut rope end is frayed. Later when looking at the rope end again, it's a nice clean cut. more
Quotes:
Simon Yates: rather than just sit here, feeling sorry for myself or whatever, I'll get on with it and I'll die on the way down. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Touching the Void: Return to Siula Grande (2004) (V) more
Soundtrack:
Brown Girl in the Ring more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
18 out of 22 people found the following comment useful.
Gripping from Start to Finish, 2 August 2004
9/10
Author: Philby-3 from Sydney, Australia

There are exceptions, but mountaineering movies fall roughly into two classes; overblown, unrealistic cliffhanging (in more than one sense) dramas ('Eiger Sanction', 'K2', 'Cliffhanger', 'Vertical Limit') and rather trite descriptive documentaries often seen as padding for the 'National Geographic' channel schedules, although Jon Krakaur's 'Into Thin Air' managed to combine the worst of both worlds. Both classes have in common (usually) Gortex gear, superb mountain scenery and splendid cinematography. What distinguishes this survival story is that it has (sorry about this) high drama, an understated style and absolute authenticity. The actual principals, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, and Richard Hawkins the non-climber base camp minder, narrate their story as it is re-enacted, partly at the original site in Peru (though some filming was done in the European Alps), while actors (with very few lines to say) re-enact the saga of the Siula West Face climb. It all hangs together beautifully; and I was rapt from go to whoa. My disbelief was entirely suspended.

Even documentaries are stories rather than fact (whatever that is) and this story is superbly told, for which director Kevin Macdonald can take full credit, though perhaps one should also thank Simon Yates and Joe Simpson for telling us their stories. One critic has taken the director to task in not dwelling on the moral issues involved – the cutting the rope bit. No mountaineering drama is without one of these but here it actually happened. That critic has missed the point – the approach here is 'be your own judge'.

This film manages to appeal both to mountaineers (a small but highly critical audience) and non-mountaineers. As a (semi-retired) and undistinguished member of the former group, I found few nits to pick, though a more extended explanation of the difference between Alpine-style and Expedition climbing would help to show non-mountaineers that it wasn't a suicide attempt (though speaking for myself I wouldn't have tried it with less than four in the party). And as the film was about a climb that went wrong, the joy of climbing, which is not easy to explain to non-mountaineers was rather overshadowed by Joe's suffering as he dragged himself, leg broken, down the mountain. But never have I seen a more graphic illustration of the adage 'never give up'. Lie down to die and you will die. Joe and the Texan doctor on Everest (see 'Into Thin Air') both should have died, yet they survived. In the doctor's case it seems to have been some primeval instinct (he was not a mountaineer). In Joe's case he seems to have treated survival as a challenge and focused his thoughts accordingly ('I thought, in twenty minutes I'll be at the next rock'). I winced every time his broken leg hit something.

To sum up this is a great film, which will live long in your memory, climber or non-climber.

P.S. Simon was only 20 or so at the time, Joe a more mature 25. Both have kept climbing, though significantly not together.

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
What got you seeing this film? beaverape
Whats all the fuss about? fullofstarz
Any idea why the director is a bad guy? delcater
Why doesn't Joe cut the rope? evejeune
How did the camera guy get up there k00ldude
Superb! ChaseWolf
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