High Ground (film)

High Ground is a 2012 documentary film about eleven veterans who set off to climb one of the tallest peaks in the Himalaya to heal the physical and emotional wounds of war. The expedition is led by blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind man to summit Mount Everest, and a team of experienced Everest summiters who guide this team of wounded veterans on an astounding journey of body and mind.

After an initial premiere at the Boulder International Film Festival Boulder, Colorado, the film was selected for participation in the Newport Beach Film Festival, Sarasota Film Festival,and the Seattle International Film Festival. Domestic release is planned for August 2012; DVD release is planned for Veteran's Day 2012.

Forming the expedition

In October 2010, ten years after blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer made his historic ascent of Everest, the same team of mountain guides who assisted Erik reunited to lead a group of warriors on a climb that was all about shattering barriers and misperceptions. With the help of World T.E.A.M. Sports, a veterans support organization, they created an expedition to Nepal for 11 combat veterans suffering from physical and emotional injuries sustained during service in Iraq and Afghanistan. These soldiers, representing all four branches of the military, set out to climb the 20,075 peak of Lobuche East, just 8.7 miles from Mount Everest. The expedition, known as “Soldiers to the Summit” proved yet again that returning vets can overcome any challenge. Emmy® winning director Michael Brown, who filmed Weihenmayerʼs historic summit ten years earlier, joined the group to film this daunting climb. What followed was a year of interviews and editing that revealed the true story of the soldiersʼ difficult road to recovery as they faced a return to civilian life.

The climb

After days of trekking in Nepalʼs Khumbu Valley, the climbing route started from Lobuche High Camp with steep rock, and transitioned to snow and ice for the final 2,000 feet. To ensure they summited in the best conditions, the team started climbing shortly after midnight and on October 14, 2010, the team reached the summit of Lobuche. The physical and emotional issues of war proved too much for some of the team. However, in an astonishing finish, some of the most challenged soldiers summoned incredible courage to reach the summit. The resulting story and footage was an unimaginable climax to the top. Brown and Cinematographer Rex Pemberton (both Everest summiters) climbed alongside the team. The most promising graduates from Brownʼs Outside Adventure Film School made up the remainder of the film crew. Digital SLRs, including the Canon EOS 7D, were used for their lightweight portability and image quality. Each cameraperson also carried digital field recorders and flip cameras to capture the drama on the climb. Cold and altitude were the two environmental factors that presented the biggest challenges. Filmmakers charged batteries at teahouses along the trek, which was an expensive process that required cash only payments in Nepalese currency to pay for electricity. Having had experience on previous expeditions for the IMAX films Return to Everest, and The Alps, director Brown and his crew understood that fascinating story lines often formulate from base camp.

Editing and post-production

Over 75 hours of footage returned to the editing room in Boulder, Colorado where producer Don Hahn met for non-stop days with Brown and editor Scott McElroy to begin assembling bits of story. “Over those two days, we established the structure of the film and the journey of the climbers from their homes in America to the exotic and dangerous slopes of the Himalaya,” said Michael. “The concept that emerged was to reveal the characters in the film like peeling back layers of an onion,” added Don. “By the time they reached base camp on Lobuche, we would understand their plight as returning vets, and then watch their healing process as they set out to summit.”

Music

Composer Chris Bacon's scores for films like Source Code inspired Don and Michael to ask him to join the project. “We wanted the music to underline the journey, and asked Chris to start with very conventional American guitars and instrumentation,” said Don, “and then as the journey progressed, let the music become more exotic and spiritual to reflect the inward journey of the soldiers.” “Sometimes in the process of composing for a film I see the individual scenes so many times that writing the music can become a technical exercise, with the repetition numbing a film's emotional effect on me,” shared Chris Bacon. “Upon viewing the finished version of High Ground, however, I was stunned at its emotional impact, and the tremendous pride I felt towards the men and women featured in the film and what they have sacrificed and accomplished.”

By Thanksgiving of 2011, New York director and editor Ryan Fenson-Hood came on board to do a fine cut of the film and Oscar® winning sound designer Gary Rizzo (The Incredibles, Inception) mixed the film at the venerable Skywalker Ranch in Marin California.

External links

• Boulder Film Festival Review
• *High Ground at the Internet Movie Database