

Three men vs. a frozen horseshoe of death. Spoiler: nobody wins, everyone transforms.
In the austere "Horseshoe Cirque", attempts on ice are so impressive and require such a high degree of skill, that after a discrete beginning in 1976, there was a wait of twenty years before new pioneers dared the challenge. Each has returned, marked for life by the extraordinary experience. The opening of The White Witch in January, 2006 by Philippe Batoux, François Damilano and Benoît Robert was the occasion to revisit this emblematic site. Here is an exceptional panorama where incredible ice formations give way to challenging rocky climbs and vibrant testimonials...
Cinematography
Ice that looks alive, hungry, biblical.
Direction
Delapierre lets silence do the screaming.
Production
Shot in conditions that should've killed the crew.

Director
Bertrand Delapierre
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Horseshoe Cirque is mountaineering's unmarked grave; French alpinism treats it with the reverence Americans reserve for Gettysburg.
Damilano directed AND starred, making this either profound autobiography or elaborate alibi for his own obsession.