The Highest Pass

Viewers witness the perils of riding motorcycles through the avalanche-prone Himalayas in this documentary (which has the look and feel of MTV's The Real World) that follows a difficult adventure undertaken by spiritual seekers in mountainous Northern India. Directed by Slamdance Film Festival co-founder Jon Fitzgerald, the film tracks eight bikers (including writer Adam Schomer) as they ride 1,200 miles through icy, treacherous mountain passes to reach an altitude over 18,000 feet. The group is led by 27-year-old Indian yogi Anand Mehrotra, who has been living under a prediction of early death since his childhood. Mehrotra decides to ride his motorcycle on a hazardous ascent from Rishikesh through the Himalayas as a way to overcome anxiety about that prophecy and feel more alive. The other bikers tag along, suffering accidents while traveling on roads that have vanished under snow. Along the way, Mehrotra's disciples question his judgment and prudence, sniping via reality-TV-like interviews that seem out of place in this kind of project. In the end, everyone seems to find bliss, but something essential about the how and why is not communicated. DVD extras include deleted scenes and outtakes. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)