Climber & Filmmaker, Renan Ozturk, on MOUNTAIN (Ep.70)

We’re talking with Renan Ozturk, an expedition climber, landscape artist, filmmaker, co-founder of Camp4 Collective, and the principal cinematographer of the very powerful film, “MOUNTAIN.”

Renan Ozturk, MOUNTAIN film, Blister Podcast
Renan Ozturk, from the film, Meru. (photo by Jimmy Chin)

MOUNTAIN is an epic meditation on our relationship to and fascination with mountains. Directed by Jennifer Peedom and narrated by Willem Dafoe, the script is based on Robert Macfarlane‘s, “Mountains of the Mind,” and the film features many of the best mountain sports athletes in the world, including (among others) Alex Honnold, Candide Thovex, Conrad Anker, Tommy Caldwell, Hilaree O’Neil, Danny MacAskill, Travis Rice, and Renan Ozturk himself.

You can learn more about screening dates and locations at mountainthefilm.com.

Renan and I discuss his work on the film and what makes MOUNTAIN unique, his own evolving relationship with the mountains, and what’s next for him.

TOPICS & TIMES:

  • How would you attempt to describe this film? (2:15)
  • How did the idea for this film originate? (8:14)
  • Logistics: How was all of this put together? (11:16)
  • The intended audience for this film (13:52)
  • Willem Dafoe’s narration of the film (16:32)
  • How working in the mountains affects or informs Renan’s love of the mountains (19:08)
  • Blending historical and contemporary experiences of the mountains in “Mountain” (22:04)
  • Rethinking mountain “mastery” and exploration (25:15)
  • What authors or films have been most influential in your own relationship to mountain pursuits? (28:44)
  • What Renan hopes people will take away from MOUNTAIN (35:20)
  • Renan’s other current projects, including his Sanctity of Space (38:19)

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