Touching the Void (2003)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Kevin Macdonald

Writer:

Joe Simpson (book)

Release Date:

12 December 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary | Adventure | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

The closer you are to death. The more you realize you are alive.

Plot:

The true story of two climbers and their perilous journey up the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.

Plot Keywords:

Rope | Disaster | Crevasse | Broken Leg | Delirium

Awards:

5 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Brendan Mackey	...	Joe Simpson
Nicholas Aaron	...	Simon Yates
Richard Hawking	...	Himself
Joe Simpson	...	Himself
Simon Yates	...	Himself
Ollie Ryall	...	Richard Hawking

Directed by
Kevin Macdonald

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Joe Simpson		book

Produced by
Charles Furneaux	....	executive producer
Robin Gutch	....	executive producer
Gina Marsh	....	line producer
John Smithson	....	producer
Paul Sowerbutts	....	associate producer
Sue Summers	....	co-producer
Paul Trijbits	....	executive producer
Paul Webster	....	chief executive procuder: FilmFour

Original Music by
Alex Heffes

Cinematography by
Mike Eley
Keith Partridge

Film Editing by
Justine Wright

Casting by
Susie Figgis

Production Design by
Patrick Bill

Art Direction by
Patrick Bill

Costume Design by
Patrick Bill

Makeup Department
Sarita Allison	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Emma Clarke	....	executive in charge of production: film council
Peter McAleese	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nick Laws	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Giles Asbury	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Tim Alban	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Brazier	....	foley editor
Felicity Cottrell	....	foley artist
Richard Davey	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Mick Duffield	....	sound recordist
Anthony Faust	....	adr foley mixer
Anthony Faust	....	foley supervisor
Joakim Sundström	....	supervising sound editor
Mark Kenna	....	consultant: Dolby film sound (uncredited)
Mark Kenna	....	consultant: dolby film sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Martin Neill	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Matthias Albrecht	....	digital film editor
Simon Burley	....	software and technical
Ben Haworth	....	digital effects artist

Stunts
David Cuthbertson	....	climbing stunt double
Rory Gregory	....	climbing stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Oliver Driscoll	....	second assistant camera
Olly Driscoll	....	clapper loader
Christian Klehr	....	grip
Ralph Kulike	....	gaffer
Dan Shoring	....	additional photographer
Dan Shoring	....	first assistant camera
Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert	....	unit photographer: Alps
Chris Thornton	....	film recorder operator
Simon Wagen	....	additional climbing photographer (as Simon Hagen)

Casting Department
Indira Ashton	....	casting assistant

Editorial Department
Stephen Barker	....	post-production consultant
Simon Brook	....	on-line editor
Ben Lester	....	assistant editor
Vincent Narduzzo	....	colorist
Kevin Phelan	....	head of post-production: Lip Sync Post
Jon Thompson	....	post-production consultant

Music Department
Abi Leland	....	music supervisor
Andy Richards	....	score mixer
Bevan Smith	....	composer: electronic music

Other crew
Olly Allen	....	climbing support: Alps
Kim Ballard	....	production financing
Christine Barnes	....	climbing support: Alps
Christine Baxter-Jones	....	production team
Hattie Bowering	....	final delivery and release supervisor
Lesley Brown	....	production team
Eduardo Shuán Caldúa	....	climbing support: Peru
Melorie Chilton	....	legal services for darlow smithson productions
Hugo Milla Chinchay	....	climbing support: Peru
David Cuthbertson	....	key mountain guide
David Cuthbertson	....	safety team
Lucy Daniels	....	production team
Regine Dura	....	production team
John Falkiner	....	key mountain guide
John Falkiner	....	safety team
Michael Fleisher	....	business affairs: Channel 4 International
Néstor Morales Flores	....	trekking leader: Peru
Laura Franses	....	physical production coordinator: FilmFour
Paul Gardner	....	archive researcher
Rory Gregory	....	key mountain guide
Rory Gregory	....	safety team
Paul Grindey	....	business affairs: FilmFour
Brian Hall	....	head mountain guide
Nion Hazell	....	production coordinator
Andrew Hildebrand	....	business affairs: FilmFour
Vinnie Holden	....	head of production finance: film council
Marcelino Milla Huarac	....	climbing support: Peru
Vicky Jones	....	business affairs: Channel 4
Jim Kerr	....	climbing support: Alps
François Marsigny	....	climbing support: Alps
Deborah McLaughlan	....	production team
Jesús Montero	....	production team
Paul Moores	....	key mountain guide
Paul Moores	....	safety team
Pelayo Milla Morales	....	climbing support: Peru
Fiona Morham	....	head of physical production: film council
Eloy Salazar Obregón	....	climbing support: Peru
Rodolfo Reyes Oropeza	....	climbing support: Peru
Emma Parsons	....	production team
James Reekie	....	production accountant
Dr. Martin Rhodes	....	unit doctor
Tim Rhodes	....	climbing support: Alps
Faye Richardson	....	production team
Ollie Ryall	....	climbing support: Alps
Juan Sánchez	....	climbing support: Peru
Joe Simpson	....	additional reconstruction
Joe Simpson	....	consultant
Sally Steele	....	film publicist
Gillian Strachan	....	production team
Ulla Streib	....	head of production: Darlow Smithson Productions
Gareth Tansey	....	title designer
Harry Taylor	....	key mountain guide
Harry Taylor	....	safety team
Jorge Clemente Vargas	....	climbing support: Peru
Howard Watkins	....	title designer
John N. Whittle	....	key mountain guide (as John Whittle)
John N. Whittle	....	safety team (as John Whittle)
Marc Wolff	....	aerial coordinator
Simon Yates	....	additional reconstruction
Michael J. Harker	....	completion bond company representative (uncredited)

Thanks
Richard Hawking	....	thanks
Adrian Warren	....	thanks
Paul Webster	....	thanks
Marc Wolff	....	thanks
Simon Yates	....	thanks
Marc Ziegler	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Darlow Smithson Productions
• FilmFour
• Pathé
• UK Film Council

Distributors

• Pathé Distribution (2003) (UK) (theatrical)
• A-Film Distribution (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Asmik Ace Entertainment (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Diaphana Films (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• Hopscotch Productions (2004) (Australia) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Fandango (2005) (Italy) (all media)
• Four Films (2006) (Chile) (all media)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (video)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2005) (Brazil) VHS) (DVD)
• Paramount (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (2004) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• With Cinema (Korea)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2007) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Red Vision

Other Companies

• Audiolink Radio Communications  walkie talkies
• Clarity Post Production Sound  sound post-production
• Film Red  special thanks
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Limehouse Recordings  sound post-production
• Lip Sync Post  HDTV to film transfer
• Lip Sync Post  titles
• Mayflower Recording  adr and foley facilities
• St. Anne's Post  post-production

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Germany:12 | Netherlands:MG6 | Singapore:NC-16 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France

Company:

Darlow Smithson Productions

Trivia:

Some of the long distance shots of Simon and Joe climbing the mountain are played not by the lead actors, but by body doubles, who were Simon Yates and Joe Simpson themselves.

Goofs:

Continuity: Commenting his descent deeper into the break, Joe says, "I didn't put a knot into the end of the rope. If there was nothing down there, I would fall, and it would be quick." Two minutes before (approx. at 54:30) he is throwing the end of the rope into that break, and as it falls, we see clearly that the knot is properly tied at the end. Just as safety rules prescribe.

Quotes:

Joe Simpson: Bloody hell... I'm gonna die to Boney M.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Making of 'Touching the Void' (2003) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Brown Girl in the Ring

eye-opening

Even for those who cannot understand why anyone would attempt to risk their life to climb a peak that most will never even know about, this film is a true eye-opener. It will show you the part of climbing that many amateurs such as I will only read about..and now, through dramatic reenactments as described by the survivors, see in this film. The beauty of the mountain is juxtaposed in tense dramatic fashion by the two climbers struggle to survive. In pitting human against nature, it will force the viewer to confront themselves with the fundamental principle of American culture--the morality of self-interested, rational behavior. As the law prof reviewer suggested, you may come away from this film with a different outlook on "acceptable" behavior in an ethical sense.