Old snow? For the scientists, the condition of glaciers is one of the most important indicator of climate changes. In the valley of Chamonix and in the mountain massif of the Mont Blanc, the pioneers of the climate and glacier research gathered... more

Peru – a calm mountain region far from big cities. Smooth clouds nestle on picturesque rocks, a lama grazes peacefully, when suddenly a cry interrupts the silence: “Goaaal!!!” A group of women throw their arms into the air. “With every goal we... more

Wat Pa Luangta Bua is a monastery of meditation, far away from any civilization, about 200 kilometres west of Bangkok, a place full of silence, peace and harmony. Every afternoon, the same ritual can be observed: nonchalant Buddhist monks take... more

Since centuries many mysteries have twined around the Blautopf in the Schwäbische Alb, a source which was considered unfathomable for a long time. In September 2006, three speleologists set off for an expedition aiming to unveil one of the last... more

On the distant steppes of Mongolia, using only simple tools, strength and ingenuity, a nomad builds a home much the way his ancestors have for the past one thousand years. “Mujaan” (The Craftsman) is a vivid window to a disappearing way of life in... more

Solar cells are outdated. Today the scientists experiment with artificial leaves that produce hydrogen with the help of solar energy. They also try to air-condition whole cities following the example of the thermal system of termite mounds. This... more

“First Ascent” is a movie about the legendary routes that have never been climbed – and the dirt bag heroes that climb them. “First Ascent” is a global romp with climbing’s modern-day pioneers, from the sea cliffs in Thailand to the high... more

This documentary accompanies the shark explorer Richard Fitzpatrick to the Australian Great-Barrier-Reef, the largest marine sea park in the world and home of the tiger sharks. Fishing is strictly forbidden, yet also a mono-culture on land can... more

The ancient Polynesians settled the giant Polynesian Triangle aboard seafaring canoes a thousand years ago. The navigators could pinpoint tiny islands in the vastness of the Pacific by reading the stars, the winds and the seas swells. It was an... more

Two years ago, the largest ever Swiss high altitude research expedition set off to the 7,546 metre high Muztagh Ata in west China. The aim of the expedition was to learn more about high altitude acclimatisation and the phenomena of high altitude... more

This impressionistic short film with impressive photographic sequences tells the story of one summer in the mountains of the Allgäu, an area in the Bavarian Alps. Without narration but with the help of the rhythm of cuts and the conscious use of... more

The extreme or at least one-sided way of life of many extreme athletes is often discussed and also criticised. In „Enlightenment“, this topic is presented in a way that does not favour a life style or evaluate the “career life” acknowledged by... more

Andreas Kieling has felt attracted by Alaska for 15 years. This time, he wants to explore the Yukon, a river which has become a true legend with its length of 3,000 kilometres from the sources to the mouth in the Bering Sea. At the first stage, he... more

In 1848, Sebastian Abratzky was the first man who climbed a rock in the Saxon Switzerland: the Königstein. He was immediately arrested. Later, the chimney sweep published his adventure in a book which is still known today. Even Reinhold Messner... more

Mike Blyth and Olivier Aubert start a new adventure after the Scot explorer Livingstone in their Ultra-Micro-Airplane. For 4 months they will fly over the magnificent landscapes of southern Africa camping among wild animals: the Zambezi River from... more

Norman Dyhrenfurth, the son of the Himalaya pioneers and filmmakers Prof. Dr. Günter and Hettie Dyhrenfurth, follows the footsteps of his parents and, between 1952 and 1986, he participates in seven large expeditions to the Himalayas. Most of the... more

Stefan Glowacz and Robert Jasper are almost “addicted” to the “Forgotten Wall”, the 1000 m high and steep north pillar of the Cerro Murallón in the Patagonian inland ice. In 2003 they started their first attempt to climb this north face. Although... more

This offbeat dramdoc tells the story of Dave MacLeod’s ascent of ‘Rhapsody’, a route considered to be the hardest traditional rock climb in the world, graded at E11. The steep and intimidating rock face protecting the seaward flanks of the... more

With its altitude of 1456 m, the “Große Arber” is considered to be the “King of the Bavarian Wood”. Unfortunately today the “tortured” king would be a more fitting name, because no other mountain in the Bavarian Wood is as exploited by skiing... more

After working as a ship’s officer for ten years, Benedikt Stirner returns home to the mountain farm, where his father is dying. Benedikt’s mother Maria is in grief, because the old Max Stirner does not want to see Benedict, who used to be his... more

This short story describes the inner struggle between the search for physical balance and the difficulty of maintaining concentration while practising Highlining - a fairly popular outdoor activity among mountain climbers lately. Highlining is... more

„When you meet the bird, then gently show it that you know, love and understand its country, and it will entrust you with everything it possesses: its freedom, its life, its offspring!”, says a fairy tale in Lapland. “The legend of the bird in the... more

“The Antarctic represents the beauty of the world, the silence of the world and the loneliness of the world. We didn’t want to conquer more territories; we have been conquered by them”, Sebastián Alvaro tells. During 63 days, the team travels more... more

The glaciologist Benedikt Schnyder lives and works in the Swiss canton Wallis, in the winter sport paradise Saas-Fee, surrounded by snow-covered Alpine peaks. For 35 years, he has registered the development of the glaciers, the steady retreat of... more

When the silence of the South Pole gives way to gridlock, jostling, squawking, fights and sex... Millions of penguins, seals and seabirds watch and wait for this break in the endless polar winter that brings springtime to the Antarctic beaches... more

The German Research Station Neumayer is located in the northern Weddel Sea, on the Ekström shelf- ice (70° 39’ south, 08° 15’ west). For technical reasons, the station was constructed under the ice. The working and living space of the nine... more

A little village in the Swiss Alps, called Kiental, served Friedrich Dürrenmatt as an inspiration for his play “The Visit”. In the fifties the mysteriously unknown camera man Landtwing filmed the life of the village people. Christina Zurbrügg –... more

“Sharks: Stewards of the Reef” takes you on a voyage of underwater discovery, to explore tropical reefs and dive with sharks. The documentary describes the relationship between reef sharks, the coral reefs they inhabit and how both are in danger... more

The Reichraminger Hintergebirge is not a “spectacular” landscape. During the last centuries it has only changed little and with its extended, jungle-like forest areas it offers an image which in former times was quite common in Central Europe... more