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Movie Info & Details
Release Year1971
Runtime0h 27m
LanguageFrench
CertificationNR
GenresDocumentary, Adventure
Votes1
DirectorLucien Bérardini
WritersLucien Bérardini
TypeFeature Film
Rating10.0 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsMakalu 8481m - West Pillar
About Makalu 8481m - West Pillar
The French Alpine Club's film about the French expedition to conquer Makalu (8481m) via the west pillar in Nepal, which began on February 24, 1971. Composed of 11 mountaineers, Robert Paragot (expedition leader), Georges Payot, Lucien Berardini, Yannick Seigneur, Claude Jager, Jean-Paul Paris, Jean-Claude Mosca, François Guillot, Bernard Mellet, Robert Jacob and Jacques Marchal (surgeon), it took twenty-five days of walking on the Himalayan trails with 460 porters and 18 Sherpas to transport 14 tons of equipment to reach the base camp. Finally, it was Mellet and Seigneur who managed to reach the summit on May 23, 1971: 8481 m, temperature - 30°, oxygen 30%, no wind.
Directed by Lucien Bérardini, Makalu 8481m - West Pillar leans on a strong ensemble — Lucien Bérardini, Robert Paragot, 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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