7:15 pm | $7/$5 members | 54 min | Documentary
Rosendale Theatre and Mohonk Preserve are proud to present K2and the Invisible Footmen, an extraordinary documentary by Korean-Brazilian filmmaker and social activist Iara Lee.
Located on the border between Pakistan and China, K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth. For many climbers, it is an even greater prize than Everest, with limited routes, a steeper ascent, and a harder push to its summit. Nicknamed the ‘Savage Mountain,’ K2’s peak juts unprotected into the atmosphere, regularly exposing climbers and porters to life-threatening weather conditions.
Despite being paid at rates far below those received by international expedition leaders, such porters—whether they provide critical supplies to expedition base camps or take on higher-altitude tasks in support of ascending climbers—do some of the most difficult and dangerous work and these efforts make them worthy of recognition as the true heroes of mountaineering.
In K2 and the Invisible Footmen, filmmaker Lee and her team chronicle the lives of both Pakistani porters and Nepalese Sherpas. The film also follows the first official all-Pakistani climbing team, made up of former porters, who successfully summited in 2014, in celebration of the 60th anniversary of K2’s first ascent. Amid breathtaking scenery, the film depicts the everyday sacrifices of porters and the courage of those indigenous climbers who choose to return to scale K2 in spite of past tragedies.
After the screening, Lee and legacy Gunks climber and Mohonk Preserve Associate Director of Visitor Services Jon Ross will participate in a Skype discussion about the film, and Ross will discuss the links between K2 and climbing at the Preserve.