Jimmy Chin

Elite ski mountaineer Jim Morrison and Hilary Nelson fell deeply in love while reaching the pinnacle of their sport, Everest North Face.

Documentary director Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Kai Veserhele.

So I feel like... that this is kind of a weird summary of this documentary.

And I, I guess, I guess it, is it a spoiler if it's a real event that's, you know, widely known? I don't know.

And, but then you also feel like, what was that all for? People died in our, and then the people almost died.

Why? Like if you hadn't had this, like, this was so unnecessary, right? you know like you did not need to have this woman die like it was totally unnecessary but like i know they see it as necessary because like what is life without pushing themselves and making these goals and so they see it as necessary but me as a human i saw it as unnecessary i'm just like i don't know so i i but i always feel that way about these kind of these kind of documentaries and, and, or, or even features, you know, it's just like, what is the point of all, all of this? I don't get it, but I don't get these people adventurers.

It's just so not me, but, and this Jimmy Chin, he's the one who directed the free solo movie.

And that I think was more successful because it sounds odd, but because I think his name is Alex and, is unlikable and kind of a narcissist and so that made it more interesting uh whereas this guy you like that's not the only loss that he's had in his life like he's had one tragedy after another and and so he's kind of more likable which makes it a little bit less interesting but uh but i i would still say if you like invent these kind of adventure documentaries and it is a beautiful looking movie.

I just don't like it.

Yeah, I think the big problem with it is that Jimmy Chin is the co-director.

He's part of the team.

He becomes the replacement who is going to do the climb.

It's very, very real.

It's Jimmy Chin, the action photographer who directed Free Solo.

It's a documentary about this husband and wife team climbing Mount Everest, and it turns tragic, and he said that it is...

Okay.

And I understand the contradiction in what I'm saying.

You're watching humans versus watching creatures.

But at the same time, I think that Jimmy Chin, the director of this, who's, like you said, the guy that did Free Solo, I think he goes into it with a perspective of, you know, there's that you hear people talk about that code of ethics of nature documentarians where you don't get involved in it.

So a polar bear is going to eat a baby seal and you think, oh, I'd like to save that baby seal.

You're watching humans versus watching creatures.

But at the same time, I think that Jimmy Chin, the director of this, who's, like you said, the guy that did Free Solo, I think he goes into it with a perspective of, you know, there's that – you hear people talk about that code of ethics of nature documentarians where you don't get involved in it.

So a polar bear is going to eat a baby seal, and you think, oh, I'd like to save that baby seal.

But you're there to document what's actually happening as opposed to involving yourself in – into what's happening.

Take the tragedy out of it.

If you like the visuals, if you like that, which I do, this is the kind of movie you want to see on the big screen and you're not going to have a huge window to see it.

And you like Jimmy Chin.

I think you're a fan of his work.

Like there is a very, it's very, very real.

It's Jimmy Chin, the guy that, the action photographer who directed Free Solo.

It's a documentary about this husband and wife team climbing Mount Everest and it turns tragic.

And he said that it is haunting.

Ooh, I'm excited about this.

This is a documentary directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vazirhali.

Jimmy Chin is so good at this.

He's a climber and he's worked for National Geographic for a very long time.

And they are the husband and wife team that made Free Solo about Alex Honnold going up the side of El Capitan.

I'll just put it in my file.

Yeah.

But the other one in the couple is determined to make the climb, and they want Jimmy Chin, the filmmaker here, to go on the expedition with them.

for everyone who's interested in watching it after listening to this episode.

But yeah, I think it's also a really great way to talk about some of the almost like the technical aspects of Free Solo as well, because with Free Solo, Obviously there was a moment where they were talking about, I think this was maybe halfway in or a third into the film, where they're like setting up the cameras and Jimmy Chin was like, oh, and then we'll put the camera here where it's like looking down.

And then Alex was like, nah, probably don't want to do that in case something happens.

And you don't want to see that angle.

Like that's not what Red Bull, I guess like even in their contract, they'll be like, you have agreed to this.

Like this is at your own discretion.

If anything happens and anything's captured in terms of footage and they'll have like rock solid, you know, NDAs or rock solid contracts or whatever with everyone involved, you know? So I just feel like the level of kind of tenderness and like kindness and consideration would probably not be as prevalent in a Red Bull film compared to like what we watched with Everest the other side but even then I still feel like some of the decisions were like just pretty reckless um and I didn't like I love Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarely but I just I just like felt like this was a really hard documentary for me to watch because it was so dangerous to capture the footage um and it was like watching like a miracle happen in front of you because like you I I literally thought like it wasn't going to end well but obviously it ended it ended as it did as it did

yeah uh not it doesn't end well for everyone but like after the point where sort of everything changes and then they decide to continue on with their their goal um after that point it's like there is so much not only is there so much danger but you also are more aware of the danger because something goes wrong whereas with free solo and the rescue which was their their previous documentary somehow everything goes well like it's the most unlikely dangerous circumstances and yet everyone survives and so you're almost like lulled into this sense that like yeah these things are dangerous but like it's okay like these people are really good at their sport and and they're like highly trained and all this and like they're it's not possible for them to get injured or die but like it's not even like in on everest a lot of it is not even in your control because there's like there's avalanches like things are shifting there's snow it's Even if you are a really good skier, a really good climber, like, not everything is in your control.

Um, yeah, that's,

um, it is Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth, uh, yeah.

Who did, um, free solo.

Uh, and that is them.