The film “Free Solo” follows world-class climber Alex Honnold in his quest to do the unimaginable: Climb Yosemite’s 3,200 foot El Capitan without a rope or any other kind of safety gear. From the moment Alex first told filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin that he had El Capitan in his sights, they had to think long and hard about the effect their cameras could have on this already intensely dangerous attempt.
More info:
- Read more about Alex’s climb at National Geographic.
- Check out Alex’s van at Outside.
- Listen to The Document story “Because It’s There” about Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s gorgeous prior film, “Meru.”
Documentary clips in today’s intro:
- Anita: Speaking Truth to Power (2013): Frieda Lee Mock explores the legacy of Anita Hill’s 1991 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee about sexual harassment allegations against Clarence Thomas. (Amazon, iTunes, Kanopy)
- Three Identical Strangers (2018): The unsettling story of three identical triplets who were separated at birth and the dark secret unraveled by their reunion. (Amazon, Google Play, iTunes)
- The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter (1980): Connie Field brings together the stories of five women among the multitudes whose working lives were transformed by World War II.