Filmmakers are always pushing themselves for their art. There is a commendable perseverance that exists for those that make films. Often, movie projects are years in the making and full of many hardships, pitfalls, and setbacks. It’s a wonder that any films get made at all. This sheer force of will and determination shares a kinship with the subject matter of new release Summit Fever.
Directed by Julian Gibley, Summit Fever analyses the compulsion that mountain climbers have to scale structures, no matter the cost. It mirrors the filmmaking experience wonderfully, and with Gibley being a keen climber himself, he’s the perfect person to tell this story. Freddie Thorp stars as Michael, a young climber who becomes seduced by Mont Blanc and The Matterhorn. Summit Fever charts the trials, tribulations, and tragedies experienced by Michael as he attempts to claim the summit of one of nature’s most deadly structures.
Five years in the making, Summit Fever was a real passion project for Gibley. He has told stories of climbers in peril before with A Lonely Place to Die, but this is a very different film. The former was more of a crime thriller with a climbing backdrop; this one thrusts the experience front and centre. Gibley strives for authenticity with the project, even going so far as to shoot on the NorthFace of The Eiger, the summit of The Matterhorn, and the South Face of Mont Blanc. Thorp committed to the cause and learned to climb from scratch meaning that he could perform his own climbing, an integral element to sell the story. Shooting on a mountain comes with its fair share of dangers though and it’s genuinely amazing that production completed with no serious injuries.
Given the huge task presented, THN were thrilled to be able to talk to Gibley in more detail about the film.
Signature Entertainment presents Summit Fever on Digital Platforms 17th October.
