Synopsis

Women can do anything, including conquering Mt. Everest. And it was Junko Tabei who proved this in 1975 as the first woman to reach the world’s highest summit. The legendary mountaineer is fittingly embodied by another legend, Sayuri Yoshinaga, in Junji Sakamoto’s enthralling biopic about Tabei’s larger-than-life exploits amid ordinary life challenges. Though her inspiring journey was not always smooth, her life always shined bright – at times too bright for those closest to her. This grand story told in warm details follows from Tabei’s younger years as a plucky trailblazer to her later years battling illness, all the while living and climbing on her own terms.

Opening Film, Tokyo International Film Festival