British Council Logo UK Films Database
Project Detail

The Summit

Synopsis

'The Summit' is a feature length documentary about the deadliest day in modern mountain climbing history. In August of 2008, 22 climbers from several international expeditions converged on High Camp of K2, the last stop before the summit of the most dangerous mountain on Earth. 48 hours later, eleven had been killed or simply vanished into thin air. Like a horror movie come-to-life, it was as if the mountain began stealing lives, one climber at a time. At the feet of the heavens – ‘the death zone’ - the body literally dies with each passing second and the mind can play tricks. Morality above 8,000 metres is skewed 180 degrees from the rest of life. When a climber falls or wanders off the trail, the unwritten code of the sport is to leave them for dead. Survival depends on self- preservation at all costs.

Details

Year
2012
Type of film
Features
Running time
95 mins
Director
Nick Ryan
Producer
Nick Ryan
Executive Producer
John Battsek, Pat Falvey, Darrell Kavanagh, Alan Maher, John McDonnell
Editor
Ben Stark
Screenwriter
Mark Monroe
Director of Photography
Robbie Ryan

Genre

Climate / Environment Science

Categories

Documentary

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

Ireland, UK coproduction

Image Now Films (IE)

17a New Bride Street
Dublin 8
Ireland
Tel: +353 1 4113310
Fax: +353 1 4113319

Fantastic Films (IE)

28 Vernon Ave
Clontarf
Dublin 3
Ireland
Tel: +353 872551666
Fax: +353 1 853 1892

Passion Pictures

County House
33 - 34 Rathbone Place
London
W1T 1JN

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

Suggest amendments

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Spacewoman Spacewoman

Director: Hannah Berryman

Year: 2024

A landmark feature documentary about astronaut Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot and command the Space Shuttle. Eileen’s incredible journey starts with her smalltown beginnings, sees her smash through many glass ceilings, and culminates in four dramatic space shuttle missions, the last being possibly the most dangerous and most important of them all. At its heart the film is the moving human drama of one family, where a mother’s extraordinary career takes us straight to the big philosophical question of what is the level of acceptable risk in human endeavour? This film celebrates Commander Collins’ trailblazing NASA career which opened the way for women to become spacecraft pilots and commanders, and proved a perfect riposte to a previous generation of male astronauts who thought there was no place for women to lead the way in space. Official Selection DOC NYC 2024 - World premiere Official Selection CPH:DOX 2025 - European premiere

Woman Director
A manuscript with blue flowers Daria’s Night Flowers

Director: Maryam Tafakory

Year: 2025

Daria has written her first manuscript about falling in love with a mysterious girl called ‘abi’ [blue]. The night flowers in her garden hide the secrets of a country that has turned love stories into routine crime scenes. Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival 2025 Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2025

Drama Experimental Human Rights LGBTQIA+ Woman Director
Palestinian student delivering speech at Newcastle University encampment in May 2024 My Blood is Palestinian (Ana Dammi Falastini)

Director: Jay Scanlan-Oumow, Omar Ismail

Year: 2025

Delving into the life of a Palestinian in the UK, separated from a culture and a way of life, this film captures the power of the human spirit in the face of adversity, delivering a powerful statement about the intersection of personal struggle and political conflict and offering hope, challenging narratives, and inspiring solidarity. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2025

Biography History Music