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© Chin & Vasarhelyi
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"Free Solo" a 2018 documentary film by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin
Professional rock climber Alex Honnold attempts to conquer the first free solo climb of famed El Capitan's 900-metre vertical rock face at Yosemite National Park. The film recieved the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film (2019).
In the following short video about the documentary film, the directors talk about a deeper issue: "we had this ethical question, is [Honnold] more likely to fall when we were there because we can be a distraction than if he is by himself"... "[we are] aware that a camera changes the dynamic".
© Chin & Vasarhelyi
The scenes that I have see from the film are dramatic, but it was the ethical questions that drew me to the following short.
Casey
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Thanks for sharing
I grew up following solo climbers in the early 90s like Patrick Edlinger, huge amount of respect for these guys.
I lived in Calgary for a couple of years...
and at one point shared a house with an accomplished rock climber, he was one tough individual... fantastic activity for sure. Casey .
It's a crazy endeavor; a friend of ours died on that climb a few years ago
He had been up El Capitan 7 times and made dozens of other climbs in Yosemite. The "internet" says more than 30 have died falling from this rock.
Clearly....
it was always going to be between them to decide what is acceptable and what isn't. There isn't anything there inherently unethical unless Mr. Honnold refused to allow it to happen. By the way, I saw Chin's film Meru only a few months ago, after having waited for quite some time to find a copy of it to be able to view it. He makes wonderful rock-climbing documentaries, no question about it. Thanks for the post, Filip
"Meru", (2015) documentary film chronicling the first ascent of the "Shark's Fin" route on Meru Peak in the Himalayas.
also directed by the same couple (Chin & Vasarhelyi), looks like a good movie. I totally resonate with the approach expressed in "Free Solo". It was particularly interesting to hear that the directors never asked "when" Honnold was going to make his attempt... no pressure. Also hearing about placement of camera persons and/or remote cameras. Casey .
I think some of this is also down to fact that it was not just some random filmmakers behind the camera.
Meru and Free Solo are well worth the couple of hours of time investment to view if you can.
"The Rescue" (2021)
"A chronicle of the enthralling, against-all-odds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of twelve boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand." — IMBd
Directors: Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Another movie....
I eagerly look forward to seeing! Both that one, and the fictionalized version about to be released this year....
Crazy, insane, sick, …
As a climber myself for the past 30 years (on a totally different level) and still regularly on the wall in the Swiss Alps, I could not imagine going ever unsecured, it gives me goose bumps seeing these sequences. This skill level and trust in his own capabilities - out of this world.
This is so far away from an average person taking risks, light years away from laws that you have to wear a helmet for skiing, it makes me shivering…
I can only imagine the beautiful views when climbing in the Swiss Alps...
such a lovely country... Casey .
Powerful stuff. Talk about putting your life on the line ..... or in this case no line.
Cinematography by Jimmy Chin, Clair Popkin, and Mikey Schaefer
the crew did the same climb, roped in of course 😉
Casey
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I saw this film — I remember reading about the ethics backstory for the director and team.
Chin and Vasarhelyi are amazing filmmakers!
I think they do some of the most beautiful nature cinematography around and mesh it with compelling stories! Relevant to this site, I think Jimmy Chin is also a Panerai fan. There’s a youtube interview of him talking about his watches.
I saw that when it first was released,
worth every minute you sit and watch it and every penny you pay to see it.
They guy is amazing.