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Movie Info & Details
Release Year1971
Runtime0h 32m
LanguageFrench
CertificationNR
GenresDocumentary, Adventure
Votes2
DirectorJean-Pierre Janssen
WritersJean-Pierre Janssen
TypeFeature Film
Rating5.5 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsBecause The Mountain Was There
About Because The Mountain Was There
On May 23, 1971, a French expedition led by Robert Paragot successfully climbed Makalu via its west pillar. Makalu is one of the five highest peaks in the world, located in the Himalayas on the Nepalese-Tibetan border. Jean-Pierre Janssen and Lucien Bérardini filmed this expedition, where Robert Paragot spoke about the expedition conditions, life at altitude, and his state of mind as expedition leader. On the return to base camp, Jean-Pierre Janssen interviewed Lucien Berardini, Georges Payot, Jean-Claude Mosca, François Guillot, and Jean-Paul Paris, all of whom played a key role in bringing Bernard Mellet and Yannick Seigneur to the summit. Expedition members: Robert Paragot (expedition leader), Georges Payot, Yannick Seigneur, Claude Jager, Jean-Claude Mosca, François Guillot, Bernard Mellet, Lucien Bérardini, Jean-Paul Paris, Robert Jacob, Jacques Marchal (surgeon).
Directed by Jean-Pierre Janssen, Because The Mountain Was There leans on a strong ensemble — Robert Paragot, Georges Payot, Yannick Seigneur — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1971.
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