Thursday, August 27, 2009

Matterhorn: The Alps IMAX film opening September 5th at Sci-Port

The Alps: Climb of Your Life, a big-screen film celebrating the unsurpassed beauty of the Alps and the indomitable spirit of the people who live, climb and explore there, opens Saturday, September 5 for a three-month feature run at the IMAX Dome Theatre of Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center.

The latest film from Academy Award-nominated producers MacGillivray Freeman Films, The Alps follows in the tradition of company’s runaway hit Everest by featuring a real-life human story that unfolds amidst some of nature’s most awe-inspiring scenery. The film is narrated by award-winning actor Michael Gambon, who recently starred as Albus Dumbledore in the last two Harry Potter adventures, features music by rock legends Queen and giant-screen imagery captured by intrepid helicopter and mountaineering crews.

Viewers will get unprecedented views, complete with a ride on the high-altitude Glacier Express train, stops in enchanting mountain villages, a bungee jump off Verzasca Dam and the rare chance to experience a triumphant ascent of the feared and revered Eiger North Face.



At the heart of the film is John Harlin III’s climb of the storied North Face of the Eiger, one of the world’s most celebrated peaks, and one notorious among climbers for the unpredictable weather changes which can bring icy storms within minutes and the crumbly stone that can cause deadly showers of falling rock. Forty years ago, Harlin’s father, famed alpinist John Harlan II, one of America’s best mountaineers, set out to pioneer a bold new route straight up the Eiger’s 6,000-foot face. At 4,000 feet, approaching the summit, Harlin’s rope broke, sending him plummeting to a tragic death that would shatter the lives of his family. Just nine years old at the time, John Harlin III has since been haunted by the Eiger—by its mythic allure and its deadly nature.


Bonus credit in world geography for attending this movie!
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