The Spider

The portrait of a controversial figure of Slovak mountaineering: Pavel “The Spider” Pochylý (1945–2000). He lived by the creed that “the impossible is just one of several possibilities”, and his life story, unfolding in the golden age of mountaineering, remains as breathtaking as ever. Largely responsible for narrowing the field of performance and problem-solving in the Tatras, Pochylý overcame all the most significant challenges of the mountains’ sheer faces, earning him a permanent place in the history of Slovak mountain climbing. He managed to scale every demanding face via the most difficult route. The only problem was the man himself. Famed and respected, surrounded by myth and legend, he also, due to his uncompromising views, had his fair share of detractors. This documentary captures both sides of the climber, who the Slovak mountaineering association JAMES named Mountaineer of the Century in memoriam in 2001. (Art Film Fest)