Oscar Winning Director Pepe Danquart Takes Viewers to Astonishing New Heights in TO THE LIMIT
Opens June 6, 2008 at Cinema Village in New York City
Thomas and Alexander Hüber, risk takers in the extreme, rank as two of the best climbers of our time. When the two Hüber brothers first set out to break the record in speed climbing at the "wall of all walls," the 3,000 foot vertical nose of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in California, Academy Award winner Pepe Danquart followed them to places never before reached by a film crew.
With breathtaking footage of the mountains of Patagonia and Yosemite National Park, To the Limit is a portrait of two competitive brothers who go to the very edge of the possible, both physically and psychologically. Brothers, who ordinarily live separate lives, become like twins when they climb together - as they have since childhood - each driven to search for their own limits.
Alexander Hüber has climbed in the mountains since childhood. At the age of 12 he stood on his first 4,000 meter peak. Born in 1968, he is the more pragmatic of the brothers, and graced with a phenomenal patience. A certified physicist, he is at the same time the analytical planner, the rationalist who pursues his goals with an exceptional single-mindedness. Since 1995, Alexander has been a mountain guide and ski leader. He lives in Traunstein, not far from Thomas.
Thomas Hüber is superficially the opposite of his brother. He took younger brother Alexander on his first climbs. An inspiring dreamer, idealistic and a little chaotic, he has a more open and laissez-faire attitude than Alexander. He plays in a rock band, "Plastic Surgery Disaster,” is a mountain guide, and lives with his wife Marion and his sons Elias and Amadeus in Berchtesgaden, in the Bavarian Alps.
To the Limit completes a trilogy of sports films by Pepe Danquart, which includes Home Match (2000) and Hell on Wheels (2004).
Danquart was a founding Member of Media Workshop Freiburg (MWF), where he made over 30 films/videos, winning a National Documentary Award for the entire output of MWF. In 1994 he won an Academy Award for the live-action short Black Rider. In 2000 he won the National Film Award (Lola) for Best Director for Homegame. Beside his work as a director and writer, Pepe works as a teacher at various film schools in Germany and works as a dramaturgical adviser and producer for documentary films. Currently he is working with Austrian director Michael Glawogger (Megacities) as creative partner and co-producer on his new film Working Man's Death.
"A visually breathtaking essay about daredevils hooked on the thrill of speed rock-climbing…
sends extreme sports buffs to heaven and keeps general viewers engaged … nimbly balanced
with insights into the appeal of this death-defying pursuit and gradual revelations about the
siblings' intense professional rivalry.” – VARIETY
"Even the cameramen had to be extreme climbers… swinging close to the abyss with a feeling of imminent danger….No mere documentation of a sports event, To the Limit is a character study
of two brothers…Impressive.” – BERLINER ZEITUNG
"Due to the proximity of the cameramen on the two brothers, the climbing scenes leave an almost physical impression on the audience…an impressive and astonishingly honest film.” – SCHNITT
"Breathtaking, intense…Recommended!” – FILMKRITIK.DE
"Exciting, often breathtaking…a fascinating, complex portrait of two brothers.”
– FILMSZENE.DE
"Thanks to enormous effort, Pepe Danquart succeeds in conjuring breathtaking images from this adventure before a grand backdrop while delivering remarkable insight into a fascinating sport ...To the Limit shows us what drives people to ever new and extreme experiences.” – FILM-KINO.DE
"A film full of suspense and thrills!” – ALPHAMUSIC.DE
TO THE LIMIT
WATCH THE TRAILER
Germany, 95 minutes, color, 2007, 35mm
In English and German w/English subtitles
Written and Directed by PEPE DANQUART
Director of Photography WOLFGANG THALER
Extreme Camera MARTIN HANSLMAYR, FRANZ HINTERBRANDNER, MAX REICHEL
Production Companies HAGER MOSS FILM, LOTUS FILM, QUINTE FILM
Produced by KIRSTEN HAGER, ERICH LACKNER, MIRJAM QUINTE
Production Manager PETER WIRTHENSOHN, RONALD VIETZ
Editor MONA BRÄUER
Music CHRISTOPH ISRAEL, DORIAN CHEAH
Sound Editing JOE KNAUER
Sound Mixing MAX RAMMLER
Cast: THOMAS and ALEXANDER HUBER, DEAN S. POTTER, CHONGO
More information about the film, including the press kit, photos, and additional play dates can be found at www.firstrunfeatures.com.
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