German filmmaker and doctor Arnold Fanck (1889-1974) made this beautifully photographed Bergfilm, or mountain film, in 1926. Written in three days and nights – especially for Riefenstahl – The Holy Mountain took over a year to film in the Alps with an entourage of expert skiers and climbers.

Ostensibly a love triangle romance – between Riefenstahl’s young dancer and the two explorers she encounters – Fanck relishes the glorious Alpine landscape by filming death-defying climbing, avalanche-dodging, and frenetic downhiill ski racing.

This restoration is a visual feast – a fascinating look at the origins of a genre. After learning the ropes from Fanck, Riefenstahl’s own Bergfilme flowered at UFA during the 1930s, and Fanck became her editor.

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