Three short films about climbing that will inspire you 

THIS one’s for those with an irresistible, near-morbid fascination with climbing documentaries.

Reel Rock 17 arrives in Singapore comprising three new international short films about climbing: DNA (France), Resistance Climbing (Palestine), and Burning the Flame (Pakistan).

The short film collection is the latest produced and distributed by Reel Rock – a platform founded by Josh Lowell, Peter Mortimer, and Nick Rosen, the minds and hands behind iconic features Valley Uprising, The Dawn Wall and The Alpinist. The trio is noted for their up-close-and-personal style, giving viewers an intimate look into the accomplishment of such extraordinary feats.

Reel Rock 17 leads off with DNA, which follows French climber Sebastien “Seb” Bouin as he takes on his biggest challenge yet: an overhanging cave in his own backyard, Verdon Gorge, establishing what could be the world’s most difficult pitch. The route, which Bouin calls “DNA”, takes him 150 days to plan and 250 attempts to complete just one pass successfully – “maybe more”, the 29-year-old says.

A striking thing about world-famous climbers who regularly perform incredible physical feats for a living is that they are, almost always, supremely uncomplicated and straightforward – much in the way young children are – and Bouin is no exception. He’s always upbeat, even when describing the sheer torture of twisting his 1.8-m frame into impossible positions to hang on to a bare rock wall.

Bouin’s child-like tendencies run strong: his main partner for his DNA journey is none other than his mother Claire Cerisier, an experienced climber in her own right.

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Between the duo’s perpetual smiles and affable demeanour, DNA is a short, sweet amuse-bouche of the joys of sport climbing and the wealth of groundbreaking experiences it offers its devotees.

The emotions take on a new intensity in the second film, Resistance Climbing, as American climbing writer Andrew Bisharat travels to the West Bank to explore a new movement that’s quietly but steadily gathering momentum.

Founded in 2014 by fellow Americans Tim Bruns and Will Harris, the group quickly attracted interest from locals, which surprised them, considering the war-torn territory’s total lack of climbing – or any recreational – activity.

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But listen to any of the group members talk about climbing, and it’s impossible to remain unmoved: “Palestinians have a collective trauma … climbing is an escape from all that,” explains one. “It’s the closest thing we can feel to being free,” says another.

For these people, climbing is not just a sport. It’s a glimpse of what normal life is like – one with no guns, tanks, arrests or raids on their homes. It’s a taste of physical, spiritual connection with their land, a visceral act of reclaiming that which has been taken from them.

It’s a fascinating parallel with Bisharat’s own experience of digging into his own roots, as a Palestinian whose grandfather was forced to flee the West Bank amid Israeli occupation campaigns. “Welcome home,” the locals say to Bisharat when they’re told of his heritage. It’s enough to elicit a tear or two.

The collection enters its final stretch with Burning the Flame, in which Barbara “Babsi” Zangerl and Jacopo Larcher attempt a free ascent of Eternal Flame, a 3,000-feet (914.4 m) route up Pakistan’s daunting, pillar-like Nameless Tower.

Compared to its forerunner, Burning the Flame doesn’t quite pack the same punch – but it is an enjoyable love story, something of a rarity among climbing documentaries. Zangerl, an Austrian regarded by many to be the world’s best female climber, and Larcher, an Italian widely known as one of the best climbers, period, seem like a perfect match on paper – and they prove to be a complementary power couple.

Zangerl is the driving force of the duo, pushing them harder every arduous step of the way with dogged tenacity. It’s gratifying to see a woman leading the way, especially in a field as male-dominated and physically demanding as this.

What Burning the Flame lacks in emotional zing, it makes up for in stunning shots of the Karakoram range’s breathtaking views – which few ever get to see in-person, due to the harshness and volatility of the region’s terrain and weather conditions.

All told, Reel Rock 17 is an absorbing collection that shows us new facets of the human spirit, and the strength and resilience that lies within each of us.

Reel Rock 17 is showing at The Projector on Apr 22 and 23, at 2 pm.

All Reel Rock projects are available to stream on their website at https://watch.reelrocktour.com.