Accessibility: Film: Subtitled / Captioned
For nearly a decade, expedition guide Chris Lininger has returned to Pakistan’s Karakoram, one of the most spectacular — and difficult — places on Earth to live, work, and travel. Through his perspective and the voices of the Balti guides who make life here possible, the film explores a place carved by deep relationships, constant challenges, and profound change.
Ronnie Forslund is a mountain filmmaker and photographer based in Vancouver, Washington, whose work explores the intersection of faith, endurance, and wild places. His documentary shorts follow people into some of the world’s most demanding landscapes — not to chase summits, but to understand what draws them back. His work has taken him from the Andes to the Pamirs to the high peaks of Nepal and Kyrgyzstan. His previous film, Lenin Peak: The Pamir Giant, took him over 7000m into Central Asia’s Pamir range. His short Further Up followed his wife, Elliana, into Nepal’s Annapurna region, exploring how the mountains point beyond themselves. What Brings Us Back is his first film set in Pakistan’s Karakoram range. He continues to make films built around the belief that the mountain is often the setting — not the story.
Sharing our festival will help us grow and get important film content to new viewers!
