Touching the Void (2003)

Director:

Kevin Macdonald

Writer:

Joe Simpson (book)

Release Date:

12 December 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary | Adventure | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

The closer you are to death. The more you realize you are alive.

Plot:

The true story of two climbers and their perilous journey up the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.

Plot Keywords:

Rope | Bone | Crevasse | Peru | Climbing

Awards:

6 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Brendan Mackey	...	Joe Simpson
Nicholas Aaron	...	Simon Yates
Richard Hawking	...	Himself
Joe Simpson	...	Himself
Simon Yates	...	Himself
Ollie Ryall	...	Richard Hawking

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)

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
Vince 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
Martin Rhodes	....	unit doctor (as Dr. Martin Rhodes)
Tim Rhodes	....	climbing support: Alps
Faye Richardson	....	production team
Ollie Ryall	....	climbing support: Alps
Joe Simpson	....	additional reconstruction
Joe Simpson	....	consultant
Sally Steele	....	film publicist
Gillian Strachan	....	production team
Ulla Streib	....	head of production: Darlow Smithson Productions
Juan Sánchez	....	climbing support: Peru
Gareth Tansey	....	title designer
Harry Taylor	....	key mountain guide
Harry Taylor	....	safety team
Jorge Clemente Vargas	....	climbing support: Peru
Howard Watkins	....	title designer
John Whittle	....	key mountain guide
John Whittle	....	safety team
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 Companies

• FilmFour (presents)
• UK Film Council (presents)
• Darlow Smithson Productions
• Channel 4 (in association with)
• PBS (in association with)
• UK Film Council's New Cinema Fund (with the support of)

Distributors

• Pathé Distribution (2003) (UK) (theatrical)
• A-Film Distribution (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Asmik Ace Entertainment (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Diaphana Films (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• Hopscotch Productions (2004) (Australia) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Fandango (2005) (Italy) (all media)
• Four Films (2006) (Chile) (all media)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2004) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)
• Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore (2005) (Italy) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Canada) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2005) (Brazil) VHS) (DVD)
• Paramount (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (2004) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• With Cinema (Korea)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2007) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Red Vision

Other Companies

• Aimimage / Ice Film  cameras supplied by
• Audiolink Radio Communications  walkie talkies
• Clarity Post Production Sound  sound post-production
• Film Red  special thanks
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Limehouse Recordings  sound post-production
• Lip Sync Post  HDTV to film transfer
• Lip Sync Post  titles
• Mayflower Recording  adr and foley facilities
• Sands Films  studio
• St. Anne's Post  post-production

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

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

Company:

FilmFour

Trivia:

Some of the long distance shots of Simon and Joe climbing the mountain are played not by the lead actors, but by body doubles, who were Simon Yates and Joe Simpson themselves.

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.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Joe Simpson:We climb cause it's fun.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Touching the Void: Return to Siula Grande (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Brown Girl in the Ring

Breathtaking Andean photography ... and a will to survive

Awe-inspiring work by director Kevin Macdonald takes us with a minimum of fuss to a corner of the Andes in Peru for this epic tale of endurance against the elements. After what appears to be a relatively rapid, routine conquering of a 22,000 foot peak, we are left contemplating what might be in store to fill out the rest of the film. Suffice to say we are told that eighty per cent of climbing accidents occur on the descent. Harrowing times in the extreme soon present themselves, with amazing camera work accompanied by stark human emotions as life-affecting decisions have to be made in the harshest of conditions. There are only three actors in this reconstruction of an actual climb made in the 1980s. The original climbers themselves personally add to the screenplay at appropriate moments, to what I believe is just the right extent for maximum effect. We are made to wonder what drives a couple of fit 25-year-olds to climb to such heights, in such conditions, with an insufficient gas supply, no oxygen, and no backup team. But that is sometimes the reckless nature of young people that age.

The viewer is left in no uncertain mind about the might of nature versus the insignificance of human effort. This is reinforced in most spectacular fashion by the use of zoom photography, underlining the sheer size of the Andes mountains. What does make the difference, though, is the strength of the human will, particularly when it comes to a matter of very survival. In this case we are given to believe this is largely driven by the fear of dying alone, but I found myself trying to identify what other motives might have been present in such dire circumstances. Considering the semi-documentary nature of the film, and the conditions under which it was made, I cannot rate Touching the Void less than 9 out of 10. It had me on the edge of my seat until the final credits.