Video Librarian, May/June 2009

French mountaineeer Phillipe Martinez had already reached the summit of some of the world's most formidable peaks - including the Matterhorn and Eiger - by the time he set his sights on Everest in 2006. But this time he was inspired by a goal higher than any mountain peak: to bring God's word in the form of the Bible to the top and plant it there as an inspiration for the world. Film-maker Patrick Vauclair's "Mission on Everest" follows the various phases of conditioning and preparation that Martinez - a professional guide and rescue worker - underwent in order to meet the challenging obstacles (which include extreme temperature changes, high winds, and reduced oxygen levels) presented in climbing Everest. In the end, Martinez is not only successful (burying the Bible and reminding us of the words of Psalm 95: "To me belong the mountain peaks says the Lord"), but he also unexpectedly meets an Israeli climber at the summit, and the pair serve as a strong symbol of the uniting of Old and New Testaments. Beautifully filmed, Mission on Everest works both as a gripping travel documentary and as a solid Christian inspirational program. Recommended. Aud: P (J. Reed)