Film No. 16 (2022) February 25th. 7:30 PM LUNA LEEDERVILLE Outdoor .
"I'm happy Tom and my mother are here. It is the most beautiful place in the world" (In a voice-over as the film concludes Kate speaks of The Himalayas and their beauty in terms of how she will always remember her mother Alison and brother Tom.)
The title of this fascinating film is misleading. While Tom Ballard and his unfortunate death fill a large chunk of this documentary, the story of the whole Ballard Family forms a greater part of the narrative of THE LAST MOUNTAIN. And while Tom's exploits are mind boggling, the influence his mum, Alison Hargreaves, had on who he became is tantamount to this story.
Director Chris Terrill had been filming the Ballard family for some 25 years. It's easy to see why. In 1995 Alison was the first woman to conquer Everest unaided and without supplementary oxygen. She achieved this feat only to die months later, in Pakistan, while descending K2. Terrill's filming began in earnest after that tragic event. He followed husband Jim and the two children Tom (6) and Kate (4) making their way to K2 base camp to pay homage to their lost wife and mother. Alison's body remains unrecovered. This wonderful archival footage forms the foundation for what's to come.
Terrill became a most trusted family companion. Tom was obviously a highly skilled climber from an early age and Terrill filmed his every move. While the film lacks the fluid narrative of FREE SOLO or TORN we are taken into the worlds of Jim, Kate and Tom's fiancée Stefania, as the final tragedy to bedevil these good people unfolds. The death of Tom is not too dissimilar in circumstance to that of his mum. Tom's was in Pakistan on Nanga Parbat in 2019.
The final 40 minutes of THE LAST MOUNTAIN is disjointed but very intimate and heartfelt. We are there with Jim and Kate as they deal with yet another heart breaking loss. Kate decides to repeat the vigil she experienced in 1996, but this time for Tom. She does this with the help of an old friend, the sherpa who carried her on his back when she was four, during her family's pilgrimage to the K2 basecamp. Their reunion will bring you to tears. And Jim? .... well in Jim we get to meet one of the most pragmatic, resilient men there is.
THE LAST MOUNTAIN is a tribute film. It lets us into the lives of an extraordinary family. The intimacy with which we get to experience exhilaration, wonder, athleticism, heartbreak, bravery and resilience makes it worth watching. Try not to pull at the upholstery of your seat as you watch THE LAST MOUNTAIN. 9GUMS.
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