Mountains and Life

Mountain landscapes as seen through the eyes of their inhabitants who know them best; they are people who value these mountains and fight for the continuity of this unique habitat. The Alps are the ancient backbone of Europe. Already the Roman conquerors crossed the Alps as did Hannibal with his elephants. Yet they are still a formidable barrier dividing the continent. To the south and east is the cradle of European culture, to the north and west the forge of the industrial revolution. The economic sector of the Alps has always been agriculture. It gave rise to a flourishing culture that was passed down through the centuries and nourished traditional village life. But the ancient peaks themselves remained untouched. Meanwhile, the Alps have been conquered by modern technology and massive human endeavor. The documentary ventures into these majestic mountains and portrays the mountain landscape as well as the people who live there. (Text: Servus TV)

The Andes stretch across the entire South American continent, forming a 7000-kilometer chain of plateaus and peaks, from the tip of South America to the Caribbean. They are the largest mountain range in the world, home to the highest navigable lake, the highest city in the world, and the highest gym. The Andes are a mountain range of extremes. Even well-trained people struggle to survive at this altitude. But how do the mountain dwellers get by with so little oxygen all their lives? What remains of human dignity when the search for gold leads to a downward spiral that damages living conditions and health? How does this extreme situation affect the human soul? The documentary shows life in the Andes, at the limits of human endurance. (Text: Servus TV)

In the middle of Africa, in the heart of the continent, lies a mist-shrouded wonder of nature - a mountain range so high and inaccessible that Europeans only got to see it a little over a century ago. The Rwenzori Mountains tower high above Uganda's savannah. To the west, it drops steeply into the dense jungle of the Congo. The mountain range on the equator has the third highest mountain in Africa, Mount Stanley, which is over 5,000 meters high. Long before this high mountain range was explored and mapped, scientists had suspected its existence. The ancient Greek author Ptolemy suspected that the world's longest river, the Nile, had its source in distant, snow-covered mountains. He called them the "Mountains of the Moon." Many consider the Rwenzori Mountains to be this place: the rain that falls here flows into the White Nile. (Text: Servus TV)

In many parts of the world, mountains have always been considered sacred ground. Especially in Korea, mountains exude this divine aura. Their peaks are distant and seem to lead directly to heaven. Few places on earth reflect the contrast between the ancient and modern worlds as extremely as South Korea. The lifestyle of the ten million inhabitants of the capital Seoul is in constant flux. Their city resembles a miracle of modern architecture. Just outside the metropolis is the Bukhansan - a mountain with three peaks that rise almost 1,000 meters above the city's skyscrapers. Bukhansan is part of a mountain range that Koreans consider the backbone of their country. The range, called Baekdu-daegan, stretches the length of the peninsula. It includes the demilitarized zone between the capitalist south and the communist north of Korea. Mountains are not only considered something sacred in South Korea, but also the cradle of the nation. (Text: Servus TV)

"Himal-aya" - in Sanskrit "the place of snow" - is the highest mountain range in the world. Here the earth comes closer to the sky than anywhere else. It is the scene of the brave, who compete with the forces of nature: Eight thousand meter peaks, thin air, snow and ice. The Himalayas are a tectonic boundary, a crescent-shaped wall between Tibet and China to the north, and India to the south. No map can illustrate its immense height. Only the world's best climbers are capable of facing this challenge. But climbing its peaks is more than a unique adventure. For the people who were born here, the mountains mean their home, their life. Life can be fruitful just below the snowline, despite the extreme altitude and the constant threat of landslides and avalanches. (Text: Servus TV)

Die Rocky Mountains erstrecken sich über 5.000 Kilometer – von New Mexico im Süden der USA bis in die kanadische Provinz British Columbia im hohen Norden. Der Bison spielte in dem Glauben der indigenen Völker Kanadas eine große Rolle. Als das Tier kurz vor dem Aussterben stand, war es für die Indianerstämme wie der Verlust eines Bruders. Aber nun kehrt der Bison nach mehr als einem Jahrhundert wieder in die Berge zurück. In Zukunft können die Bisons im Banff Nationalpark von Millionen Touristen bewundert werden. Es kommen aber auch Sportler, um ihre Grenzen auszuloten. Die Berge können ein Zufluchtsort sein, ein Hafen der Ruhe, um die Kraft der Natur in sich aufzunehmen und neuen Lebensmut zu schöpfen. Was auch immer der Mensch von den Rockies erwartet – die unberührte Wildnis mit ihren Gipfeln und Bergbächen spendet Trost und erweitert seinen Blickwinkel. (Text: Servus TV)