K2: Siren of the Himalayas

Filmmaker Dave Ohlson's extraordinary documentary follows a 2009 expedition to reach the peak of K2—the world's tallest mountain—in commemoration of the centennial anniversary of a 1909 attempt by Italian climbers. The contemporary international team features some of the world's most experienced climbers, including former National Geographic “Explorer of the Year” Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner. Ohlson points out that, as of 2009, only 302 people had successfully reached K2's summit (and of those, 31 died during descent). So it's no wonder that the team's efforts become increasingly difficult and deadly, especially during a final push toward a summit that seems so close, yet so far away. Ohlson is there for every step of the way, at one point even giving us a seemingly impossible viewpoint from the highest terrestrial heights. The 2009 footage is interspersed with archival photographs and narrated journal entries from the 1909 climb, and Kaltenbrunner and her fellow climbers also speak at length during interviews. Highly recommended. (T. Keogh)