Director

MARK TURNBULL, born in 1971, has been climbing since the age of seventeen. His love of exploring has led him to pioneer close to 100 new climbs of all grades. Mark first picked up a video camera in 1993 whilst at university in Bristol, and has since expressed his love of climbing through film making. In 1995 he made his debut in filmmaking and production, with Under the Sky, Above the Sea. Amongst his works:  Pennine Rock with Chris Bonington, Johnny Dawes' Best Forgotten Art video and the British Bouldering Championships for Sky Sport. 1998 saw the release of Hard Grit, co-produced with Richard Heap, which went on to pick up eight international awards and shocked audiences worldwide with its disturbing account of dangerous cutting-edge climbing. Since Hard Grit, Mark has made mountain films for the British Mountaineering Council, more films on climbing for Sky Sport as well as non-climbing programmes and has worked both as an editor and cameraman for national news-programmes.

This is the story of one month in the life of the top English climber, Neil Bentley, and the intense mental, physical and tactical training to which he has dedicated three years of his life to achieve the hardest climb in England, the first and only grade E10 on gritstone.

The film analyses his motivations, fears and obsession and explores the tension building up, during the preparation for the attempt, both on the rock and in his daily life.

Photos
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