One man's mission to promote peace...one school at a time

by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Book review by Cate Montana

K2, better known to climbers as “The Savage Peak,” is the world’s second highest mountain. Its summit is considered the most difficult to reach of all the mountains on Earth. It’s also situated in one of the world’s most inaccessible of places – the Karakoram range in Pakistan.

In September 1993, climber Greg Mortinson found himself separated from his team after an exhausting, problem-plagued, and ultimately failed summit attempt. At the end of his descent and his strength, he wandered near the tiny village of Korphe. By the time he reached the edges of the village he was surrounded by at least fifty wide-eyed children. No foreigner had been there before, but the nurmadhar, or village chief, stood at the outskirts gate and welcomed him.

Movie review by Anna Darrah

I intended to find a movie that is inspiring, or provocative, or deeply moving, that isn’t terribly violent or depressing to write about. It’s been a struggle to find something that fits that description that has had a widespread general release.

Some films had some sense of spirituality within their descriptions - specifically, two films that critics have liked: Pan’s Labyrinth and Children of Men. But then I heard from impassioned viewers that Pan’s Labyrinth was horrifically sadistic and Children of Men, deeply depressing - so I crossed them off the list. It would be easy to talk about Stranger Than Fiction (brilliant, and very spiritual in many ways) or Volver (also very spiritual, though dark and beautifully made) but it’s unlikely that they will still be playing in theaters when you read this. (If they are, go see them!)