Heyke Family Archive

collection Heyke Family Archive
authors Krzysztof Heyke
starring Krzysztof Heyke; Krzysztof Tarasiewicz
length 03'22
country Poland; Nepal
year 1980–2001
format 16 mm
color color
signature PAFD 0007 004
description

Part 1

Poland, Vistula river, between Sandomierz and Kazimierz Dolny, about 30 kilometers from Kazimierz, one of the largest inland islands in Poland.

Part 2

Nepal, 4000 meters above sea level, ascent of Manaslu eight-thousander. A documentary made by Krzysztof Heyke around 1980. It was supposed to be a larger format, but it ended up with short film sequences. The protagonists of the film are the last inhabitants of one of the largest inland islands in the country, which is located on the Vistula, between Sandomierz and Kazimierz Dolny. Before the war, the island was inhabited by more families, now there is only one household left. The island can be reached only by water, and in winter, when weather conditions allow it – on foot on ice. The inhabitants had to tie their belongings with ropes to trees to protect them from being swept away by the swollen waters of the Vistula. One part of the island lay relatively close to the mainland – in the first part of the film, we can see a man who uses a lying ladder to get on the ice to the island. This way, it ensures safe weight distribution and minimizes the risk of ice breaking on the Vistula. Later, we can see the inhabitants of the island on its other part, which is separated from the mainland by the main stream of the river, only partly navigorous, and partly ice-bound. It was on the other side of the Vistula that the inhabitants ran errands, dealt with official matters, shopping, etc. We can also see people sailing by boat through the partially ice-bound Vistula. At times, they are forced to go out on the ice and drag the boat to the next place where they can sail again. What is striking in this part of the film is the beauty of the shots and the excellent use of light changing with time. It is hard to believe that these scenes were not arranged and carefully edited. The author’s intention was to make a documentary about the inhabitants of the island, but this plan didn’t work out. The second part of the film consists of documentary material from a high-altitude expedition that took place in 2001. Its goal was to reach the summit of Manaslu eight-thousander located in Nepal. The leader of the expedition to the Mountain of the Spririt, as this peak is called, was Krzysztof Tarasiewicz. Unfortunately, the summit was not reached due to heavy snowfall. The film was shot in mountain scenery at an altitude of over 4000 meters. We can see a panorama of cloud-covered peaks, as well as details such as a forest of small, staked, red flags used to mark specific places in case of snowfall. The film ends with a close-up of a man who smokes a pipe in a hat and goggles.

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keywords mountaineering  himalaism  flags  camp  tent  winter  snow  ice  high-altitude expedition  ladder  parka  water sports  sailing  rowing  boat  pipe  smoking  addictions 
source of funding Ministry of Culture and National Heritage