Film on Nanga Parbat winning hearts in Germany

[LahoreEstate]

Thursday, January 14, 2010
Islamabad

German audiences are getting mesmerised by a real story that took place at Nanga Parbat, one of the highest peaks in Pakistan and of enduring human spirit revealed by two German brother mountaineers.

Pakistani mountains are magnetic and the feature film is based on a journey undertaken by two brothers to Nanga Parbat in 1970. The younger brother died after being buried by an avalanche.

The film is getting screened in 300 cinemas in Germany. The film dramatised the thrilling, emotional and tragic events of the expedition to Nanga Parbat in 1970 and concentrates on the young and ambitious brothers Reinhold (25 years) and Gunther Messner (23 years) on their way to first over eight thousand meter high mountain. Its route leading upto 4500 meters called Rupal Wall, is the world’s highest steep face and is considered most challenging mountaineering in the world.

The film beautifully depicts the risks and difficulties that the expedition had to face while climbing this route, said a message received from Berlin.

The co-director and consultant of the film, Reinhold Messner, who himself survived but lost his younger brother during the expedition, has filmed all the major episodes at Nanga Parbat and its surrounding valleys in Pakistan. He has put in wonderful and moving moments in the film that he experienced during the 1970 expedition.

The remains of Gunther Messner were found in 2005 after 35 years and the whole Messner family came to Pakistan in 2006 to attend the funeral ceremony held at the Diamer side of Nanga Parbat.

So finally his family was able to bury him. The film acknowledges the cooperation and support extended by the Ambassador of Pakistan to Germany Shahid Kamal to the Production House, Perathon Film and Fernsch Gmbh in shooting the film at Nanga parbat and its surrounding locations and subsequent completion of the project.

Earlier, the premier of the film was attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at Delphi Filmplast, Berlin. Leading politicians, diplomats, artists and celebrities were also present at the opening show.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=218651