North Face Opening February 19, 2010

“ADVENTURE DRAMA FROM 1930s GERMANY, FROM TRUE STORY”
Beginning February 19, 2010 in Bay Area

Landmark’s Clay Theatre – 2261 Fillmore St., San Francisco, (415) 267-4893
Showtimes (valid 2/19-2/25) Fri-Sun: 1:30, 4:15, 7:00, 9:45 Mon-Thurs: 4:15, 7:00, 9:45
Tickets are $10.50 for general admission and $8.00 seniors, students & children

Also opens 2/19 at Rafael Film Center in San Rafael and Camera 3 in San Jose.

Based on a true story, NORTH FACE is a gripping adventure drama about a competition to climb the most dangerous rock face in the Alps. In 1936, Nazi propaganda urges German Alpinists to conquer the unclimbed north face of the Swiss massif, the Eiger, bringing two reluctant climbers, Toni Kurz (Benno Fürmann) and Andi Hinterstoisser (Florian Lukas), to begin their daring ascent and attempt to scale the infamous rock face, often called the Murder Wall.
While preparing themselves at the foot of the North Face, Toni and Andi unexpectedly run into Luise (Johanna Wokalek), the early love of Toni. Now a journalist, she has come with her boss Arau (Ulrich Tukur), a loyal Nazi, to report about the first ascent. Toni begins the ascent of the North Face with Andi, closely followed by two Austrians, Willy Angerer (Simon Schwarz) and Edi Rainer (Georg Friedrich). All goes well at first as both rope teams make good headway but then the climbers lose their advantage over the mountain and the race against time and the forces of nature begins.

“It is impossible not to put yourself in the boots of the mountaineers clinging to a sheer, icy rock face during a blizzard that threatens to send them into oblivion.” – Steven Holden, New York Times

“Director Philipp Stoltz proves a master of tension, cruelly juxtaposing the climbers – caked in ice and ravaged by frostbite – with the idle sightseers, gorging on champagne while casually gauging the mountaineers’ progress.” – Tim Evans, Sky Movies

“Even those who consider themselves less than avid fans of outdoor survival drama will find their eyes frozen, if you will, on the screen. Filmmaker Philipp Stölzl brings home the sheer heart-pumping exhilaration and terror associated with the sport.” Kimberly Chun, SF Bay Guardian

“NORTH FACE is the most exhilarating thriller of the season. Some of the most thrilling mountain action ever put on film.” – Kelly Vance, East Bay Express

Read the San Francisco Chronicle interview with NORTH FACE director Philipp Stölzl:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/14/PKBP1BS656.DTL

The film’s running time is 101 minutes; it is not rated. In German; fully subtitled in English.