For anyone who’s ever carried around the “Woe Is Me” banner, bitching about how boring your job is or how much your back hurt, blah, blah, blah. Take an hour and a half and watch the powerfully engaging High Ground and then you’ll realize what struggle and perseverance really looks like.
The documentary profiles 11 wounded vets from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts (along with the mother of one soldier killed overseas) scaling the 20,000-foot Mount Lobuche in the Himalayans. The wounded U.S. vets, some missing limbs, others blinded by shrapnel and many now living with PTSD, each detail their personal war experience and current situation with stark, emotionally-draining detail. As a viewer you can’t help but feel like you’re intruding on someone confiding in a friend.
The group, comprised of all branches of the military, is led by Erik Weihenmayer, a blind adventurer who has overcome his own obstacles. The scenery in the movies is breathtaking, but clearly takes a backseat to the motivating story unfolding throughout the doc. Simply inspiring.
High Ground/91 mins./Virgil Films/ 2012
