Monday-Wednesday, October 5-7, 7pm
Wednesday, October 7, 4 pm
Thalian Hall Main Stage
Gripping visually as well as narratively, Meru is the rare documentary that proves thought-provoking while offering thrilling wide-screen vistas. In the high-stakes pursuit of big-wall climbing, the Shark's Fin on Mount Meru may be the ultimate prize. Sitting 21,000 feet above the sacred Ganges River in Northern India, the mountain's perversely stacked obstacles make it both a nightmare and an irresistible calling for some of the world's toughest climbers. After an unsuccessful attempt at the climb in 2008, Conrad Anker convinces his two lifelong friends to undertake the Shark's Fin once more – under extraordinary circumstances. Meru is the story of that journey, an expedition through nature's harshest elements and one's complicated inner demonsto impossible new heights. (1 hour 27 minutes, Rated R)
“It's the sort of movie that's frequently called 'inspiring' for its depiction of humans testing themselves physically, emotionally and perhaps even spiritually against the elements, and I get that. But I wasn't inspired. I was nearly out of my mind with terror.” – David Edelstin, NPR
“This is one of the most outstanding documentaries of the year.” – Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun Times