movingmountaingraphics
Super extensive documentary on the evolution of the Yosemite climbing community. Great film. My only criticism was that they skipped from the end of the Stone Masters era to the emergence of the Stone Monkeys in the late 90's and 2000's. I started climbing in 1991 and there was quite a bit being done to elevate hard standards in the late 80's and early 90's by the likes of Croft, Osman, Suzuki, Skinner, Piana and more but they moved past this era in the film. It was maybe not a particularly "dramatic" era in climbing history but that was where the sport really became "mainstream", if you can call it that, which is definitely historically significant.
Snorreplop
Valley uprising tells the story of multiple generations of climbers in the Yosemite National Park. From the first hippies/pioneers to the modern day climbers. For a person like me; who has no in depth knowledge of climbing, techniques or jargon, the documentary gives a good and amusing insight in the psyche of the climber and the evolution of climbing as an outdoor sport in the past decades. It is amazing to see what progress has been made in terms of raw (climbing) speed and the mind boggling free climbing practitioners.The colorful characters and stories, especially from the early days are very entertaining. Original video footage is mixed with breathtaking shots of classic Yosemite walls. Worth mentioning is the CGI technique that is used to give a more or less three dimensional feel to archive pictures and historical footage stills
Giorgio Riccardi
This movie is not only very detailed and technically post-produced in an amazing way, it is actually SUPER FUN. Actors aka climbers are so honest and spontaneous that you can't stop staring at them and laughing out loud.The story of the touristic evolution of the Yosemite national park is quite astonishing and sad for certain aspects. It is a film about people, real human beings that will make you dream.While watching this outstanding documentary you will feel the need to run pack your climbing gears and go training to get ready for the next adventure on those big walls... Dreaming is guaranteed.Oh, by the way, adrenaline must run high during the movie; if you suffer of heart conditions, watch it with caution!
loren-white-141-405028
Maybe since I've known Royal and Liz Robbins for over 40 years, you may think I am biased. But this is unquestionably the best documentary of the Yosemite climbing experience I've ever seen. Great filming, commentary, and wonderful sense of humor through it all. The characterizations of these climbers was excellent. We learn who some of the significant climbers are, their motivations and aspirations to accomplish what no one has ever done before. Just when we think those glorious climbers of the Golden Age have done all that can be done, then along comes the Stonemasters of the 1970s and the StoneMonkeys since the late 1990's. These climbers demonstrate a unique ability to conduct a true Uprising while continuing to hold sacred the idea that we are in charge of our own destiny and that Yosemite is a diamond worth preserving. For a startup, Sender Films has set a new standard of its own. Congratulations!
AD
