ECHOES FROM THE TIAN SHAN

In the summer of 1902, the Russian botanist Dr. Vasilii Sapozhnikov and the German geographer Dr. Max Friederichsen set off on an expedition to the Tian Shan - one of the highest mountains in the world. With them: photographic equipment to document the “heavenly mountains”. 122 summers later, a Russian-German-Kyrgyz group follows in her footsteps. With the help of historical maps and photographs, they explore how the landscape has changed over the course of a century. A cinematic journey through space and time, between science, history and the legacy of early discoveries.
Under the scientific direction of Prof. Dr. Tatiana Saburova, experienced expedition guide Martin Kaiser leads a 7-person expedition team with local support - captured by travel filmmaker Patrick Barylla. In search of the rivers and glaciers that were photographed more than 100 years ago, the team must venture into remote mountain valleys. On their mission to locate the photos from 1902 and recreate them on an exact scale, they also reflect on the emotions and human perception of this unique landscape.