6 Sep 2015

First woman to climb Mount Cook to be immortalised on film

From Standing Room Only, 1:34 pm on 6 September 2015

The big story this year is the increasing visibility of women-focused movies and women-driven production companies, collectives and writers' labs.

New Zealand filmmaker Anita Ross pitched her film script about pioneering mountaineer Freda Du Faur to Vermont's Stowe Workshop, and they loved it. The film is called Cloud Piercer.

Freda Du Faur.

Mount Cook from the Red Lake on Mount Sebastopol. Image: New Zealand Electronic Text Centre. (CC BY-SA 3.0 NZ)

Rocks of Mount Nazomi. Image: New Zealand Electronic Text Centre. (CC BY-SA 3.0 NZ)

Mount Cook Mount Tasman Mount De la Bêche — The Tasman Glacier from the Matle Brun Hut. Image: New Zealand Electronic Text Centre. (CC BY-SA 3.0 NZ)

North-West Rocks of Mount Cook From Mount Dampier. Image: New Zealand Electronic Text Centre. (CC BY-SA 3.0 NZ)

Mount Tasman Arète. — X was the point reached on the first attempt. Final ascent was made on the right of the arête. Image: New Zealand Electronic Text Centre. (CC BY-SA 3.0 NZ)

Looking Down La Perouse Glacier. Image: New Zealand Electronic Text Centre. (CC BY-SA 3.0 NZ)