The Last Expedition

Polish mountaineer Wanda Rutkiewicz went missing in 1992, following a terrible fall while climbing in the Himalayas. She was already famous for being the first woman and the first inhabitant of Poland to reach the top of Mount Everest. Now the story is circulating that Rutkiewicz is still alive, in a convent in Tibet.

Filmmaker and mountaineer Eliza Kubarska follows her trail through the high peaks, talking with fellow climbers and Sherpas from that time. What exactly happened on that final climb? Drawing on a wealth of archive material and media appearances, as well personal film recordings and extracts from letters and journals, Kubarska paints an intriguing picture of this determined and highly ambitious climber who was planning to scale eight peaks above 8,000 meters in a single year.

Although Rutkiewicz was admired by many people, she also faced biting criticism from journalists and fellow climbers who cast doubt on her achievements. This persuasive portrait of an inspirational sportsperson also gives a fascinating impression of the times in which she lived.