The documentary film The Volunteers takes viewers on a journey to the origins and values of mountain rescue. The focus is on the connection between the Tyrol Mountain Rescue Service and the Seattle Mountain Rescue Service in the USA – a partnership that began in 1947 when the manual “Neuzeitliche Bergetechniken” (Modern rescue techniques) by the Tyrolean mountain rescuer Wastl Mariner came to America via detours. This book, translated by the Berlin doctor and mountaineer Otto Trott, laid the foundation for the training of the first American mountain rescue organization and is still considered the “bible” of mountain rescue techniques there today.

The film not only shows the historical development and mutual influence on modern rescue techniques and equipment – such as the further development of alpine medicine and the use of the NASA rescue blanket – but also delves deeper into the philosophy behind mountain rescue. American historian and philosopher Mark Weiner sheds light on how camaraderie and helpfulness are at the heart of mountain rescue and how these values provide a model for cohesion and community. In the interviews, mountain rescuers from Tyrol and Seattle talk about their motivation to put themselves at the service of rescue, regardless of their background or personal views.

The Volunteers is an inspiring film that combines the story of mountain rescue with a message for social cohesion – an example of the power of humanity in challenging moments.