Premiere of Documentary on Mountaineer Teodors Ķirsis Sells Out Both Screenings

The documentary “The Road Never Ends” (“Ceļš nekad nebeidzas”), produced by film studio TheRoom Cinemateca, had its premiere on Thursday at the Forum Cinemas Centrs cinema in Riga. The film is dedicated to Latvian mountaineer Teodors Ķirsis (1942–2003), who in 1995 became, together with his partner Imants Zauls, one of the first two Latvians to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Both screenings held on premiere day were fully sold out, drawing hundreds of mountain and adventure culture enthusiasts.

The evening was hosted by journalist, director and producer Sandijs Semjonovs, while the creative team shared stories about the making of the film. Director Viktors Buda said that after more than four years of studying archives and meeting people, it was a special feeling to finally hand the film over to audiences. In his view, Ķirsis was one of the people who opened the door to the high-mountain world for Latvians.

Four years of archive work

The film took four years to make. During that time, more than 70 hours of archive material were collected and studied in Latvia and abroad, including in the Nepalese Himalayas and New Zealand, among them previously unpublished footage from Ķirsis's life and expeditions. The film draws on footage shot by the climber himself, as well as his personal notes and diaries. It also features recollections from companions, including mountaineers Imants Zauls, Ilgvars Pauls, Juris Ulmanis and others. After the screening, Zauls said the film lets viewers see Ķirsis from a side that had not been revealed before.

Where to watch

From 13 November the film will be shown in Riga cinemas, including Forum Cinemas Centrs, Apollo Kino Rīga Plaza, Splendid Palace and Kino Bize, as well as in several other Latvian towns, such as Cēsis, Valmiera, Ventspils, Liepāja and Rēzekne. Meetings with the creative team are planned for 13 November at Kino Bize and Forum Cinemas Centrs, and on 18 November at Apollo Kino Rīga Plaza.

From 19 to 21 November the film will be screened at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), where its first international screening will take place. An English-language version has also been made, narrated by American-French actor Jean-Marc Barr.

Who was Teodors Ķirsis

Ķirsis began mountaineering in 1968 and reached all the peaks above 7,000 metres in the territory of the USSR, earning the “Snow Leopard” title. In 1993 he climbed Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) with Zauls and Pauls. By 2002 Ķirsis and Zauls had reached the highest summits of all continents. Ķirsis died on 9 December 2003 on Mount Cook in the New Zealand Alps, together with three other members of the expedition.