Life is Climbing — Momo Films

Screenings

VIFF Centre in Vancouver, June 3 - 9, 2024
☆English Audio Description Version: 6:20pm on June 4 @ VIFF Centre.

JCCC in Toronto, 7pm June 7

Princess Cinemas Waterloo, 4pm & 7pm June 8

Playhouse Cinema Hamilton, 4:15pm June 9

Revue Cinema Toronto, 9:30pm June 10

Trailer

Synopsis

“Right hand, 1 o’clock, bit far. Right, right, right ... there!” Listening to the voice of sight guide Naoya, Koba, who is completely without site, moves carefully up the wall 15 meters off the ground. Koba and Naoya have won the IFSC Paraclimbing World Championship four times in total blind class

In 2021, the pair were in Colorado to climb but also to reunite with old friends. One of them is Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind adventurer to reach the summit of Everest. When Koba met Erik 20 years ago, he was in a deep depression knowing he was losing his eyesite and would soon be completely blind. Erik was a huge inspiration for Koba to keep pursuing his climbing dreams and eventually convincing him to start his NPO Monkey Magic to promote Paraclimbing. To end their trip, Koba and Naoya head to Moab, Utah where they plan to have Koba stand on top of the famous “Fisher Towers” a dream climbing spot for Koba.

Life is Climbing
2023, Japanese with English subtitles

Director: Sokichi Nakahara
Cast: Koichiro Kobayashi, Naoya Suzuki
Original Song: “Amazing” by Monkey Majik

Cast

KOBAYASHI Koichiro

Four-Time Consecutive Champion in Paraclimbing World Championships
Born in Tokyo in 1968, Koba started climbing at the age of 16. At 28, he was diagnosed with an intractable eye disease called 'pigmentary retinal degeneration' and recently went totally blind.
Despite his visual impairment, he continued climbing with the guidance of his partner, Naoya. In 2006, he achieved his first victory in the International Paraclimbing Competition in the Men Blind category (Ekaterinburg, Russia). Since then, he has earned numerous world titles, including four consecutive gold medals in the IFSC Paraclimbing World Championships in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2019.
SUZUKI Naoya

Koba’s Buddy Who Led Him to Champions as a Sight Guide
In 1992, Naoya discovered climbing in Boulder, Colorado, where he stayed as an exchange student. Following high school graduation, he relocated to Colorado to delve into outdoor education and commenced his climbing journey. He explored crags throughout the U.S., embracing the lifestyle of a 'climbing bum.'
Returning to Japan in 2002, Naoya founded the climbing school 'Adventure Seekers.' Operating as a mountain guide both in Japan and internationally, he crossed paths with Koba in 2003 in Colorado and began guiding him in paraclimbing. As Koba's navigator, he played a crucial role in Koba's four consecutive victories in the Paraclimbing World Championships.
Erik Weihenmayer

The First Blind Man to Reach the Highest Peak on All 7 Continents
Erik Weihenmayer was born on September 23, 1968, in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. He lost his sight at the age of 13 and achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the first blind man to reach the highest peak on all seven continents.
Beyond his mountaineering accomplishments, Erik is recognized as an athlete, adventurer, author, activist, speaker, writer, and producer.
Erik and Koba crossed paths 20 years ago, and he served as an inspiration for Koba to establish his NPO, Monkey Magic.
NAKAHARA Sokichi

Nakahara Sokichi has directed and produced numerous TV documentaries. Notable among his works is 'The Infinite Pursuit' (2017), a documentary feature focusing on the pilot of 'Blue Impulse,' an acrobatic team of the Japanese Air-Self Defense Force.
Nakahara first encountered Koba and Naoya during the production of the Fuji Television documentary 'Suddenly Losing Sight,' which documented their journey leading up to victory in the 2016 Paraclimbing World Championships.
In addition to his directorial work, Nakahara served as a producer for 'WAKITA PEAK' (2018), directed by Masataka Kiyono, a documentary feature capturing the life of Japanese surfer Takayuki Wakita. 'Life Is Climbing!' marks his first feature film for theatrical release.

About Paraclimbing

Paraclimbing is the parasport of Sport Climbing, where paraclimbers compete on routes set on a 15-meter wall. Tied with a rope for safety, the athletes climb the route unassisted, giving their best regardless of any impairment in body functions.

Among the various classes in Paraclimbing, Koba competes in the 'visual impairment' category. Climbers in this category are either completely or partially blind, and they climb the route with the assistance of sight guides.

The guide communicates the position of the next hold and the next step by clock position – indicating the direction, distance, and shape of the holds. Therefore, climbing in visual impairment is akin to a team sport involving both the climber and the guide.

Original Soundtrack

“Amazing” MONKEY MAJIK

MONKEY MAJIK is a Japanese pop rock band formed in 2000 in Sendai, Japan. Led by Canadian brothers Maynard Plant and Blaise Plant, who serve as lead vocalists and guitarists, MONKEY MAJIK gained widespread attention with their singles 'Fly' and 'Around the World' from the 2006 album 'Thank You,' eventually reaching the top of Japanese hit charts.

Koba established a friendship with MONKEY MAJIK, given that his NPO organization shares the same name (albeit with a different spelling). Upon learning about the 'Life Is Climbing!' project, MONKEY MAJIK composed the original song 'Amazing' to serve as the movie's closing theme.

HATAKEYAMA Chihei

Hatakeyama Chihei is a sound artist and musician based in Tokyo. He specializes in composing polychromatic, memory-evoking soundscapes using a variety of recorded materials, including electric and acoustic instruments such as electric guitars, vibraphones, and pianos. His work has been featured in albums released by worldwide labels such as Kranky, Room 40, Under The Spire, Hibernate Records, Magic Book Records, Home Normal, OwnRecords, and Spekk (as part of the electroacoustic duo Opitope with Tomoyoshi Date).