In 2013, three friends decided to embark on the ultimate pilgrimage of adventure, charity and self-discovery. They left the US, bought a car and traveled to Argentina. There, they set out to conquer Aconcagua, South America’s tallest mountain. Their final destination awaits them at the summit of Mount McKinley, the highest mountain in North America.
But the real adventure happened between their visits to these two towering peaks, as they performed various community services at each stop, trying to make at least a little difference in the lives of each area’s residents in the process.
Between the Peaks is a picturesque and otherworldly new documentary that captures every important step of their extraordinary journey. Your journey has not been without occasional setbacks. Along the way, they must contend with expensive car repairs, food poisoning, difficulties crossing the border into Peru, sandfly-infested homes, and the unforgiving elements of nature.
But they also love the company of amazing people and enjoy the opportunity to learn about their culture and the unique and fully engaged relationships they have with those around them. They built sanctuaries for wild chinchillas in Chile, created landfills in the Andes, helped protect exotic animals in wildlife sanctuaries, invested in agriculture in Nicaragua, and witnessed the jungles in Honduras.
Between the Peaks illuminates the need to return to a place of humility in the face of our vast and infinitely fascinating planet. While days and weeks turned into months, the friends lived at a different pace than they were used to in America. They learned that if you give to the Earth, the Earth will give back. They are immersed in a simpler, more meaningful plane of existence where they are more attuned to the world around them than ever before. Most importantly, they found that the smallest contributing gestures can spread farther and farther than they expected. No doubt they will take those lessons and try to apply them to their home countries when they return to the United States. The real genius of cinema is that it can inspire audiences to do the same.
