In 1985, two British mountaineers prepared to conquer the Siula Grande peak of the Peruvian Andes, which is 10,800 feet high. When they climbed to 9,000 feet, a disaster occurred. A mountaineer named Joe Simpson accidentally fell down a steep slope and broke his right leg. There was an abyss below him, and he could not climb upward. His companion Simon Yates had no choice but to tightly hold him with a lifeline rope and descend together in a snowstorm. But when they descended 3,000 feet, Simpson unfortunately fell into a narrow ice crack. At this moment, Simon was hanging above him, and he was stuck in the crack and unable to move. After some time of effort, the rope that sustained both their lives was already struggling under the weight, and there was a danger of both falling into the valley at any moment. Moreover, the cold had almost frozen them both. Out of desperation and hopelessness for survival, Yates had to cut the rope, climbed out of the steep wall himself, and returned to the base camp. Just as Yates was about to leave, he saw Simpson returning with his injured leg...
"Touching the Void" is adapted from Simpson's eponymous memoir in 1988, telling the amazing process of how climbers fought against death and fear and finally overcame death with courage and perseverance.
The film is directed by Kevin MacDonald, who once directed the Oscar-winning best documentary "One Day in September" (1999). It is narrated by the climbers Simpson and Yates themselves and the actors Brendan Mackey and Nicholas Aaron recreate the thrilling scenes at that time. The story is extremely shocking, the plot is tight and unbelievable, and it is a documentary comparable to a thrilling feature film. The film was nominated for the Best British Film of the Year at the 2003 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards (BAFTA) alongside "Cold Mountain", "Girl with a Pearl Earring", "21 Grams", and "Love Actually".