Jerzy Kukuczka
Acting
Biography
Józef Jerzy Kukuczka, nicknamed "Jurek", born on March 24, 1948 in Katowice, Poland and died on October 24, 1989 while attempting to climb the south face of Lhotse, is a Polish mountaineer and Himalayan climber. He is considered one of the greatest Himalayan climbers of all time. He was the second man, after Reinhold Messner, to climb the fourteen peaks over 8,000 meters. An iconic climber of an extraordinary generation of Polish climbers (including Wanda Rutkiewicz, Krzysztof Wielicki, Wojciech Kurtyka, Andrzej Czok, Artur Hajzer, Ryszard Pawłowski etc.) his Himalayan exploits are first-rate: ten new routes out of the fourteen 8,000ers climbed, four winter ascents (including three firsts), a traverse, a solo, several ascents in alpine style. His record is even more impressive if we take into account the fact that Jerzy Kukuczka lived in communist Poland and could not benefit from the advanced training techniques and equipment available to Western climbers. The Italian mountaineer Walter Bonatti celebrates in his book3 Kukuczka's conquests as epic deeds and underlines the fact that, unlike Reinhold Messner, Kukuczka managed to climb the fourteen 8,000ers always choosing difficult or new routes and with extreme (also economic) conditions.
Known For
This documentary follows the feats of high-altitude climber Jerzy Kukuczka and his ascent to higher heights before his death in 1989.
Jurek
Jerzy Kukuczka is today considered the greatest Himalayan climber of all time. He was the second man to conquer all fourteen peaks over 8,000 meters. He accomplished this feat in just 8 years, an absolute record, and by multiplying winter ascents and new routes. A true force of nature, he died tragically in 1989, falling 3,000 meters during an attempt to climb the legendary south face of Lhotse (8,516 m). This powerful and moving film retraces the life, exploits, and career of a mountaineering legend, a modern-day hero, through previously unseen footage of his expeditions.
Kukuczka
In 1986, Kurt Diemberger and his companion Julie Tullis came back to the K2, after two failed expeditions, in order to finally stand on the summit of the mountain of all mountains. Their dream comes true. They reach the summit of K2. However, on the way down, Julie and four other mountaineers die. They were caught by a horrible storm which forced them to stay at an altitude of 8.000m for several days, all because they had lost one important day during their ascent. Kurt Diemberger and Willi Bauer were the only ones who were able to survive this inferno on the second highest mountain on earth - merely with serious frostbites.
K2 - Traum Und Schicksal
The documentary film Art of Freedom answers the most poignant questions on the phenomenon of Polish expeditions to the Himalayas. Poles have reigned the highest mountaintops of the world for more than 20 years. They not only set down new trails, but new rules of behavior. They set themselves apart with an original style of climbing, endurance, conscientiousness about the overall well-being of the team - and solidarity.
Art of Freedom
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