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Wild Heights
We speak to renowned mountaineer Conrad Anker about the documentary 'The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest', inspired by a discovery he made ten years ago.
Everyone knows that the first person to conquer Mount Everest was Sir Edmund Hillary. Right? Well maybe. In the latest dazzling epic documentary from IMAX, The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest, the possibility is raised that it may have first been summited by George Mallory in 1924 though he never made it back down. After the discovery of Mallory's body in 1999, 75 years after disappearing, without his wife's photo that he promised to leave on the summit, the question remains open. The documentary follows legendary climber Conrad Anker, the same man who discovered Mallory's body, retracing the fateful expedition, accompanied by Leo Houlding, a high climbing novice barely out of his teens paralleling Mallory's own companion Andrew Irvine.
Anker was eager to get on board with the film project after his life inexplicably collided with Mallory's almost a decade ago. Speaking to FILMINK, Anker describes the moment he found the climber's body as "very humbling" for him as "in climbing circles Mallory always was a legend." It's not hard to see similarities between the two climbers who are both equally determined and inspiring, and the film certainly uncovers this with Anker revealing they have "that same connection, that willingness to go up and to explore which is very much a part of human nature." That said, Anker humbly laughs off any direct comparisons claiming, "He's the better climber, greater intellect, better man and much more handsome."
Incredibly this was the second time Anker has climbed Everest. He is, however, without the Everest sized ego that may accompany such a feat, merely describing the experience as "good fun." He's the first to admit that people who do what he does are "kind of crazy" but that, "I like challenges like that and climbing is my source of happiness in life and when people find that, whether it's gardening, playing cards or reading poetry, anything like that, it really is exceptional."
As crazy as such an expedition might seem, filming a documentary on top of the world seems even crazier. The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest, however, manages to beautifully capture the mountain, and the sheer scale of such an expedition. Filming on the summit with a small camera crew, the triumphant moment of victory is captured with stirring beauty. Anker is quick to reveal though that the moment is sometimes sweeter in hindsight. "At the time it's not that much fun. I mean, you're breathing about a third of the oxygen you have at sea level, you're tired, you're dehydrated, you're just hammered, but when you come down you have this moment where you think, ‘Wow. I stood on top of the world and I'm as close to the heavens as I can possibly be'. You look up and it's like this dark blue sky that goes all the way up to the stars." He pauses for a moment before adding, "Just talking to you about it makes me smile."
Anker was approached about the film by Anthony Geffen and was taken by the director's enthusiasm immediately. "He was the right guy. When we met, it was like ‘Okay, Anthony's the man'," Anker recalls. "Anthony got to the story and was he was able to pull the actors and really make a great film because of that." The actors involved are certainly a testament to the scale of the film and the filmmakers' dedication, with Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman and the late Natasha Redgrave delivering poignant voice work.
If there was anything absolutely fitting for the IMAX format, Everest is it (already evidenced by the 1998 film, Everest, also narrated by Liam Neeson). The scope, danger and sense of adventure in what is also a fascinating detailing of George Mallory's infamous quest to climb Everest "because it's there" is captured with awe-inducing scope. As for the mystery as to whether Mallory made it to the top or not? "The film doesn't set out to find the unequivocal answer to ‘Did Mallory make it?'" Anker explains. "It tries to shine the light on who Mallory was and what it was like to climb in those times. It allows people to be inspired by Mallory, and take some of that determination and bring it into their own lives."
The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest is currently screening exclusively at IMAX Darling Harbour. To find out screening times and purchase tickets, click here.