With simon yates, joe simpson, brendan mackey, nicholas aaron. Joe simpson author and writer of touching the void at the edinburgh international book festival. Touching the void is a documentary film based on the book of the same name by joe simpson about simpsons and simon yates disastrous and near fatal attempt to climb the 20,8 foot siula grande in the peruvian andes in 1985. Touching the void is a 2003 docudrama survival film directed by kevin macdonald and starring brendan mackey, nicholas aaron, and ollie ryall. It is based on simpsons 1988 book of the same name. Touching the void 2003 is a survival documentary, adventure movie starring brendan mackey and nicholas aaron. David darlow script writer, joe simpson book stars. Richard hawking, simon yates, nicholas aaron, joe simpson, brendan mackey, touching the void, kevin macdonald, john smithson. Learn more about brendan mackey at with exclusive news, full bio and filmography as well as photos, videos, and more. The movie intercuts images of climbers brendan mackey and nicholas aaron. His dramatic reconstruction of an infamous mountaineering disaster is anchored within a set of talking heads style interviews from the real people involved.
Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Touching the void 2003 with joe simpson, brendan mackey. In the making of touching the void, simpson watches the crew and cast brendan mackey and nicholas aaron, who perform for the most part without speaking head off to. Brendan mackey as joe simpson is suddenly in a lot of pain in touching the void since yates cannot see simpson, the two rely on jerking the rope as their only form of communication. The plot concerns joe simpson and simon yatess disastrous and nearfatal climb of siula grande in the cordillera huayhuash in the peruvian andes, in 1985. This divergence is at the center of touching the void, the film simpsons book, of course, does not tangle with this dilemma. There is some rough talk, but minor compared with typical hollywood films. Touching the void 2003documentarian macdonald turns to reenactments to provide a dramatic narrative for this saga of two british climbers whose adventure in the peruvian andes in 1985 goes horribly wrong. But as simpson is lowered into a huge crevasse, the rope loses its. Certain they were about to be pulled jointly to their deaths, the only choice was to cut the rope. Touching the void is the heartstopping account of joe simpsons terrifying adventure in the peruvian andes.
With his partner simon yates, simpson successfully reached the peak after a threeday climb. Touching the void consists of matteroffact talkinghead interviews with the participants, joe simpson and simon yates, and terrifying dramatic reenactments brendan mackey as simpson, nicholas. Considering the semidocumentary nature of the film, and the conditions under which it was made, i cannot rate touching the void less than 9 out of 10. This film earned numerous prizes in english and american film festivals during the year 2004.
This gripping documentary retelling of joe simpsons best selling book is as edge of your seat and spiritually touching as any hollywood drama. Ice, snow, mountain peaks and survival at any means possible all play a large part in this brilliant drama documentary of the true life survival story of tow mountaineers, joe simpson and simon yates. Winner of the ncr award for nonfiction and the boardman tasker award. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle. Touching the void is a british docudrama directed by kevin macdonald in 2003. In 1985, two young climbers, joe simpson and simon yates, set out to be the first to reach the summit of the siula grande in the peruvian andes. Both as movie and as book, touching the void is, in part, simpsons exoneration of yates. The true story of two climbers and their perilous journey up the west face of siula grande in the peruvian andes in 1985. To describe touching the void as a mountaineering documentary would be to do this breathtaking drama an injustice. It is the turningpoint of the book he wrote about the climb, touching the void, which has now been brought to the screen in docudrama form by kevin macdonald.
Touching the void systematically shows yates as he crafts a strategy to surviveone which is ultimately successful. The most important book totv adaptations coming in 2020. Touching the void 2003 trailer hd documentary kevin. In touching the void, filmmaker kevin macdonald one day in september tells their story, based on simpsons book, using contemporary interviews with. There is no sex in the film, and the violence is limited to strictly realistic depictions of a climber breaking his leg and falling. Touching the void by kevin macdonald brendan mackey. 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. Kevin macdonalds touching the void is an expert telling of an amazing true tale. Professor brendan mackey is director of the climate change response program at griffith university, queensland. How simpson survived the fall, and made it back to base camp is a story that will astound and inspire. Brendan mackey, nicholas aaron, joe simpson, simon yates, richard hawking, kevin macdonald, john smithson.
Joe simpson, simon yates, nicholas aaron, brendan mackey. Touching the void 2003 touching the void uk, 2003 directed by kevin macdonald starring joe simpson, simon yates, brendan mackey, nicholas aaron docudramas, like biopics, are difficult things to pull off. They have to be close enough to the truth to be credible in the eyes of those involved, but they must also be engrossing and. Based upon joe simpsons accounts in his 1988 book of the same name, touching the void is a masterful dramatic reconstruction of one of the most terrifying and incredible feats of survival. Simon yates, joe simpson, brendan mackey, nicholas aaron, richard hawking, ollie ryall, keith partridge, mike eley, kevin macdonald. Touching the void 2003 the true story of two climbers and their perilous journey up the west face of siula grande in the peruvian andes. In touching the void, yates and simpson return to the siula grande for the first time to retell their story. Simpson mackey and yates aaron, both in their early twenties, decide to test their abilities on the previously unclimbed west face of siula grande. He and his climbing partner, simon, reached the the summit of the remote siula grande in june 1995.
Touching the void fits the pattern of what has traditionally been called a docudrama, in that macdonald fuses elements from both fiction and nonfiction filmmaking. Touching the void, the true story of a pair of daredevil mountain climbers in the peruvian andes, may be the most harrowing, dazzling, haunting survival story ever filmed. Faithful to the book, touching the void chronicles simpson and yatess 1985 perilous first ascent of the 4,500foot west face of 20,853foot siula grande. As he says in the film, most climbers would have made up a phony excuse to leave their crippled partner. Now, documentarian kevin macdonald who won an academy ward for 2000s one day in september, a remarkable account of the terrorist hostagetaking at the 1972 munich olympics has made his own touching the void, a sort of docudrama based on simpsons book. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Touching the void blu ray by brendan mackey bluray. High resolution official movie posters for touching the void 2003 directed by kevin macdonald. The interviews intertwined with the reenactments create a powerful and moving film to watch, which really gets across the essence of the book and what occurred on that mountain.
Touching the void theatrical adaptation showing at the duke of yorks theatre in londons west end. Touching the void is the most harrowing movie about mountain climbing i have seen, or can imagine. While the story of mountain climbers joe simpson and simon yates is an incredibly dramatic true tale of deathdefying adventure, and the film is absorbing, touching the void also gives a sense of missed opportunity. This is a touching documentary based off the book of the same name by joe simpson. By intercutting narration from the climbers themselves with a nailbiting reconstruction of their remarkable adventure in the peruvian andes, the film has the best of both genres. Bringing to life joe simpsons book of the same name, touching the void details the neardeath experience he endured during a 1985 attempt to climb the only mountain in the peruvian andes that had not been scaledthe 21,000foot siula grande.
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