“Beyond the Edge” focuses on one of the greatest adventure stories of all time. The film documents the epic true journey of the heroic and triumphant ascent to the top of Mt. Everest by Edmund Hillary — a modest bee-keeper and keen mountaineer from Auckland New Zealand — and the very experienced Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, of Nepal. Using original color archival footage and photographs from the time, seamlessly interwoven with interviews as well as dramatic re-creations of the ascent, this is a high-altitude ‘fly on the wall’ look inside one of the most inhospitable environments on earth and man’s ability to conquer.
In 1953, the ascent of Everest remained the last of Earth’s great challenges. Standing at over 29,000ft, the world’s highest mountain posed a fearsome challenge and had already claimed thirteen lives in previous expeditions.
Faced with treacherous winds, sub-zero temperatures and battling altitude sickness, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay finally achieved the impossible and became the first men to stand atop Everest. It was an event that stunned the world and defined an era.
Sir Edmund Hillary’s incredible achievement remains one of the greatest adventure stories of all time; the epic journey of a man from modest beginnings who overcame adversity to reach the highest point on Earth.
Both a classic triumph of the underdog story and a gripping, cinematic experience, “Beyond the Edge” is a tale of human endurance, tenacity and courage in the face of overwhelming odds.
For the first time ever, and with the support of the Hillary family, Sir Edmund’s story is brought to life on the big screen, ‘relived’ using both original color footage and photographs and dramatized recreations of the assault in stunning high definition.