Great Barrington — You were truly blessed if you were at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center last night to see the documentary, Meru, during the opening of the 10th annual Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF). It was one of those magical nights where our senses were heightened by this movie about extraordinary people….scaling unimaginable heights. What makes them take such risks? Are they just a different breed from the rest of us?
The evening began with a historical review of how Richard Stanley started the Triplex cinema, searching for a “heart space” for Great Barrington. I have always maintained that a movie theatre is key to rejuvenating a community. Albert Togut, chairman of the BIFF Board of Trustees, took us through the development of BIFF during the past ten years and how he encouraged the festival to become a year-round part of our community. When he introduced Kelley Vickery the crowd was on their feet. Her love of film is palpable and her desire to “bring us together to be inspired” and “honor our stories” has truly been met.
According to Hindu cosmology, Mount Meru is the center of the universe. And almost impossible to reach the summit — which made it that much more enticing for these three incredible Alpinists. Watching Meru was as close to rock climbing the Himalayas as most of us will get. Breathtaking views and unbelievably risky choices captivated the audience. When the avalanche came — the audience was totally there in the moment. The extreme physical hardship and traumatic accident of one of the climbers was hard to watch but his determination to overcome all obstacles was inspiring.
One of the great things about film is that it triggers our memories and emotions. While I was watching this film, I started thinking about my own time in the Himalayas. When we went around the world for our honeymoon, our main destination was India and the Himalayas. We lived on a houseboat on Lake Nagin, near Srinagar for a week. My husband thought a trek would be a great experience.
We did a three-day trek to Lake Gangabal which was 13,000 feet above sea level. Even going on foot (no rock climbing for us!) and relying on donkeys, it was a challenge. The surreal beauty, when we did arrive at the lake, made it well worth it – glaciers with flowers nearby and actual fishing in the lake. (We did get stopped by the “fishing police” and our guides had a pay a stiff fine of several pots!)
The extreme altitude headache I had when we reached Gangabal made me wonder how one of the Alpinists could make his climb on Meru with the traumatic brain injury he had endured. What amazing feats we humans are capable of when we are so determined. Totally inspirational.
When the credits rolled, the audience at the Mahaiwe gave the film a huge standing ovation (second of the night). At Sundance this film had won the U.S. Documentary Audience Award. Meru makes you rejoice at our own shared humanity and thankful that there are people with the determination to conquer the seemingly unconquerable.
There was a Q and A after the screening with the co-director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, who is married to one of the climbers, Jimmy Chin, and the lead Alpinist, Conrad Anker. One side note: the Alpinist is now married to the widow of his best friend, Alex Lowe. Vasarhelyi is well aware of the risk her husband takes with each climb. A climber herself, she brought home the existential issues this film brought up. “It is only an illusion thinking that we have control over our lives, but we don’t,” she observed. Maybe this is a clarion call for us to push ourselves past our comfort zone. Or maybe just watch this film and get a vicarious thrill.
See you at the Festival!
