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Edward James has been to the base of Mount Roraima more than most Indigenous Akawaio people who live in the Amazon rainforest. But like most porters on western expeditions, historically that was where his journey ended.
The iconic prow of the mountain has been climbed before but it’s never been free climbed. Now, veteran expedition leader and world class rock climber Leo Houlding has assembled a team including up-and-coming Cumbrian climber Anna Taylor and jungle expert Waldo Etherington, to undertake a big wall expedition with new ‘modern ethics’.
The Akawaio will support Leo through the jungle to the base of the wall and he will try to support them to reach the summit.
This film was part of VIMFF 2022 and is no longer available for viewing.
In this film the director captures the team’s arduous journey both to and up a remote and almost mythical objective. In difficult-to-film conditions we observe the characters at their physical and mental limits as they seek to break free from the squalor that surrounds them.
High on the cliff, lowering out over the abyss, we see those who helped to guide the adventurers through their lands now as fully-fledged members of the team. Through the Director’s lightness of touch, Edward and Troy add local knowledge, culture and strength to allow this epic adventure, described by as the ultimate in masochism by the first ascensionists, to succeed
With this film you feel the struggles. You live the adventure; not only through the pictures and words but also through its evocative sound track.
The award for Best Mountain Sports Film goes to House of The Gods, Directed by Matt Pycroft.
— Keith Partridge
Matt Pycroft is the Creative Director of the content creation agency Coldhouse Collective. Matt is a highly experienced filmmaker and photographer who specialises in working in remote and hostile environments. He has a passion for seeking out untold stories and has worked as both director and principal photographer on numerous world-class expeditions to places such as Greenland, Pakistan and Alaska through to extensive work for NGOs in Sub-Saharan Africa. Matt co-founded Coldhouse with the idea of creating a company of like-minded individuals that produce authentic, narrative led content in the outdoors.
