We recently watched The North Face (Nordwand in German), a foreign German film based on the true story of the 1936 attempt to summit the Eiger North Face in the Swiss Alps, and thought we’d pass it along as a great pick for your next backyard movie! The film probably isn’t the best choice if you have small children, but would make a great date night outdoor movie or an opportunity to invite friends over who love foreign or independent films. North Face would look gorgeous on an Open Air Cinema 16′ Pro System with an HD audio-visual package. Here is the theatrical release trailer for North Face:

North Face follows Andreas Hinterstoisser (Florian Lukas) and Toni Kurz (Benno Fürmann), two Bavarian Nazi soldiers who are unsympathetic to the party, and are much more interested in mountain climbing than they are serving the interests of the party. Two other Bavarian climbers, Karl Mehringer and Max Sedlmeyer, attempted to climb the Eiger North Face in the Swiss Alps, the last unconquered challenge of the Alps, but died while attempting to summit. Being billed as an opportunity of national heroism, word quickly spread of Germany’s desire to ascend the North Face before any other nation.

However, Kurz and Hinterstoisser are weary of attempting the climb, as they know of the serious risks that it poses. Yet when the army becomes even less fulfilling, they decide to drop out and attempt the Eiger North Face, also known as the “death wall”. The film follows the duo as they travel to Switzerland by bike, and their attempt to reach the summit. They are not without competition however, as their Austrian counterparts Willy Angerer and Edi Rainer are hoping to declare victory for their homeland. But when events turn the climb into a deathly situation, the four work together to survive.

North Face is a well made film, and will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat! The actors deliver first-rate performances, and show a glimpse into a time of great unrest in Europe. At first we were uneasy of the film, and weren’t sure if it would transcend the vast groups of movies made about the era. But North Faceexceeded all our expectations, and we give it a five-star rating as a potential outdoor-movie!