In August, 2008, 18 mountain climbers reached the top of K2. 48 hours later, 11 people were dead. While memorials paid tribute to those killed, there were also condemnations about 'the why.' Why do these athletes risk everything to reach a place humans are simply not meant to go? With breathtaking cinematography and jaw dropping reenactments based on the testimony of those who survived the climb, this thrilling film is about the very nature of adventure in the modern world.

With breathtaking scenery and some of the most awe-inspiring climbing sequences ever captured on film, K2 takes you to the edge of the world - and into the face of sheer adventure. Despite being complete opposites, Taylor (Michael Biehn) and Harold (Matt Craven) are firm friends who share an intense passion for mountain climbing. But when they jump at the chance for the ultimate adventure - scaling K2, the second highest mountain on Earth - Taylor and Harold find themselves battling for their lives. Known for being one of the deadliest climbs in the world, the duo must hold on for dear life as they try to beat the odds and conquer the summit. . . before it conquers them.

An international team of climbers ascends Mt. Everest in the spring of 1996. The film depicts their lengthy preparations for the climb, their trek to the summit, and their successful return to Base Camp. It also shows many of the challenges the group faced, including avalanches, lack of oxygen, treacherous ice walls, and a deadly blizzard.

In the high-stakes pursuit of big-wall climbing, the Shark's Fin on Mount Meru may be the ultimate prize. Sitting 21,000 feet above the sacred Ganges River in Northern India, the mountain's perversely stacked obstacles make it both a nightmare and an irresistible calling for some of the world's toughest climbers. In October 2008, renowned alpinists Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk arrived in India to tackle Meru. Their planned seven-day trip quickly devolved into a 20-day odyssey in sub-zero temperatures with depleting food rations. Within 100 meters of the elusive summit, their journey - like all previous attempts - fell short of the goal. Heartbroken and defeated, the trio returned to their everyday lives, where the siren song of Meru continued to beckon. By September 2011, Anker had convinced his team to reunite and undertake the Shark's Fin once more, under even more extraordinary circumstances.
MERU is the story of that journey, an expedition through nature's harshest elements and one's complicated inner demons, and ultimately on to impossible new heights.

The third attempt to climb Everest culminated in the deaths of two of the finest climbers of their generation, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, and sparked an on-going debate over whether or not they did indeed reach the summit. Filming in brutally harsh conditions with a hand-cranked camera, Captain John Noel captured images of breathtaking beauty and considerable historic significance. The film is also among the earliest filmed records of life in Tibet and features sequences at Phari Dzong (Pagri), Shekar Dzong (Xegar) and Rongbuk monastery. But what resonates so deeply is Noel’s ability to frame the vulnerability, isolation and courage of people persevering in one of the world’s harshest landscapes. The restoration by the BFI National Archive has transformed the quality of the surviving elements of the film and reintroduced the original coloured tints and tones. Revealed by the restoration, few images in cinema are as epic – or moving – as the final shots of a blood red sunset over the Himalayas.
A newly commissioned score composed, orchestrated and conducted by Simon Fisher Turner (The Great White Silence) features a haunting combination of electronic music, found sounds, western and Nepalese instruments and vocals.

An emotionally-charged action-adventure story, THE VERTICAL LIMIT is a high adrenaline tale of a young climber (Golden Globe nominee Chris O'Donnell) who must launch a treacherous and extraordinary rescue effort up K-2, the world's second highest peak, to save his sister (Robin Tunney, End of Days) and her summit team in a race against time. Martin Campbell, the celebrated director of The Mask of Zorro and GoldenEye, delivers high-voltage action and exhilarating suspense in a film that pits man against his own limitations and the awesome power of nature's uncontrollable elements. © 2000 Global Entertainment Productions GmbH & Co. Movie KG. All Rights Reserved.