Before the final triumph of the Italian expedition in 1954, there were many attempts to conquer K2. Using the fundamental support of those who were personally involved and of precious film footage, this documentary tells the stories of the unsuccessful British attempts led by Charley Houston and Fritz Wassner. Compagnoni and Lacedelli, who were the first two men to reach the summit, are also interviewed. They made a historical film (the first on an 8000 peak) to record the success of the exploit that gained popularity with the feature film “Italia K2” by Marcello Baldi.