The cruel way

Not everyone participated in the expedition is shown. For example the role of Lyudmil Yankov and Stamen Stanimirov is undereatimated or overlooked. There is unnecessary criticism of the personality and work of Hristo Prodanov, who was one of the best Bulgarian climbers at that time, recognized at the world level. The film shows a point of view of only a part of the participants in the expedition. The controversial activity of Avram Avramov could have been presented based on the complexity of such large expedition, rather than talking about the lack of organization. A number of important written sources in public circulation were not used, which is what a documentary movie should have.

What stands out most is the deafening silence surrounding the actions of Lyudmil Yankov. He was mentioned only briefly-two or three times-and he deserves far more than that. His own writings could have been quoted; they offer a powerful, firsthand account of his solo rescue mission-a superhuman impulse to help that drove him to overcome 1,330 meters of elevation gain in a single breath, reaching 8,500 meters and Hristo Prodanov's backpack, only to face a ghostly night alone in the death zone-a night he miraculously survived. His selflessness earned him international recognition, the amputation of four fingers, and the end of countless dreams.

In his words, one can sense truths perhaps even more uncomfortable than those revealed by the film.

His work also speaks of a kind of romanticism that, at one point, the film completely overlooked. The most emotional and spiritually elevated individuals-like Yankov-are capable of finding beauty even in the harshest of realities.

This is a film that is both vital and deeply moving. I awaited it with great anticipation and absorbed every frame. I sincerely applaud the team for their dedication and sensitivity to the subject-but Lyudmil Yankov's absence is profoundly felt.