Valley Uprising

Valley uprising tells the story of multiple generations of climbers in the Yosemite National Park. From the first hippies/pioneers to the modern day climbers. For a person like me; who has no in depth knowledge of climbing, techniques or jargon, the documentary gives a good and amusing insight in the psyche of the climber and the evolution of climbing as an outdoor sport in the past decades. It is amazing to see what progress has been made in terms of raw (climbing) speed and the mind boggling free climbing practitioners.

The colorful characters and stories, especially from the early days are very entertaining. Original video footage is mixed with breathtaking shots of classic Yosemite walls. Worth mentioning is the CGI technique that is used to give a more or less three dimensional feel to archive pictures and historical footage stills

Maybe since I've known Royal and Liz Robbins for over 40 years, you may think I am biased. But this is unquestionably the best documentary of the Yosemite climbing experience I've ever seen. Great filming, commentary, and wonderful sense of humor through it all. The characterizations of these climbers was excellent. We learn who some of the significant climbers are, their motivations and aspirations to accomplish what no one has ever done before. Just when we think those glorious climbers of the Golden Age have done all that can be done, then along comes the Stonemasters of the 1970s and the StoneMonkeys since the late 1990's. These climbers demonstrate a unique ability to conduct a true Uprising while continuing to hold sacred the idea that we are in charge of our own destiny and that Yosemite is a diamond worth preserving. For a startup, Sender Films has set a new standard of its own. Congratulations!

First off, out of the three reviews here, one gives this doc a 3 star rating and complains about the lack of still shots and zooming in/out effects and that unless you have ADD or like movies that are cut like commercials then this movie is terrible. Disregard that review (and the awful grammar) and read this and the other 2 reviews. And then just go and watch this film! I am not a rock climber and have hardly any experience whatsoever. I am however a huge outdoor sports guy and have been for as long as I can remember. I am also a filmmaker. And this movie was nothing but amazing to watch and I enjoyed it from both perspectives. This isn't a documentary about the climbers, it's a documentary about yosemite and all the amazing things that it has and continues to offer to so many people. It's a magical place and the interviews spin this incredible story from some of the earliest climbing days to the most recent. There is a great arc to everything. The interviews are insightful, real, funny, humbling and awe inspiring. The cinematography is gorgeous (great use of drones, gopros) and the techniques used to bring still pictures to life really add a great style. The editing is smart and well paced. The filmmakers definitely understand pacing. There's also this great injection of humour which comes from these characters that are just in love with climbing, the lifestyle and equally in love with yosemite. And the filmmakers don't shy away from it. In fact, they embrace it and it really adds to film by giving it this authenticity. But at the end of the day, it's the story that really draws you in. And in this case the love (some might say obsession) the climbers have for yosemite and for climbing and the magic that connect both are transported off the screen and directly to the viewer. It's a fascinating, humorous and inspiring film that is a must for anyone looking to watch a great doc.

I'm doing this somewhat backwards after watching free solo in the cinema a year or so ago but this was arguably even better other than the iMax filming of the actual climb! Thoroughly entertaining look at the history of Yosemite and the personalities of those who have climbed there over the years!

Entertaining and very informative look at the history of climbing, including many of the wild characters who were pioneers over the decades. The editing was fantastic - the best I've ever seen on giving life to old photos.