40 Days at Base Camp 2011

a documentary filmed on mount everest by dianne whelan

6.9 / 10   7 vote(s)
Documentary

At 18,000 feet above sea level and over the course of 40 days last Spring, documentary filmmaker Dianne Whelan immersed herself in the challenging and captivating world of base camp at Mt. Everest. With spectacular footage of the mountains’ landscape as a backdrop, 40 DAYS AT BASE CAMP is an intriguing and intimate portrayal of three climbing teams and their journey to the peak.

Top Billed Cast

Homepage http://www.40daysatbasecamp.com
Release Date 2011-10-01
Runtime 1h 28m
Directors Dianne Whelan, Andrew Coppin
Producer Dianne Whelan
Writer

I have watched a lot of programs about Mt. Everest. I am not a climber but the subject has always interested me. I found this to be an excellent documentary following ordinary people trying to reach the summit.

I was led to watch 40 Days at Base Camp by Amazon Prime video, with one of those "Because you watched" this scenarios. This is a low key entry of the genre of Everest mountaineering films. I say low key because this its not follow famous or star mountaineers, and it doesn't rely upon a tragedy or scandal to hold its viewers.

Instead the program follows a few groups of amateur climbers as they pursue their goal of reaching the top of Everest. One of the climbers was making the attempt despite, or perhaps because of, his condition of having an ostomy. A condition that I coincidentally share, so that made it a bit more interesting for me.

The program lasts under an hour, which doesn't seem long enough to present a full, well-rounded picture of the efforts of these climbers, but I felt that they did a great job of covering many issues involved in going for the summit, both from each team's perspective and for several individuals on those teams. It was an interesting documentary even for someone like me who has watched many of these shows.

Peter McGinn